Deadly Girls like Me
by Jazz.Castaneda
Summary: Agent Sakura Haruno knows more than anyone that nightmares are not only reserved for the darkness of one's vast deep suspended consciousness. The concept of nightmares can be quite tangible within the realms of reality. She has witnessed it first hand. The cruelty that mankind has to offer. The nightmares that have physical forms and human faces.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Agent Sakura Haruno knows more than anyone that nightmares are not only reserved for the darkness of one's vast deep suspended consciousness. The concept of nightmares can be quite tangible within the realms of reality. She has witnessed it first hand.

The cruelty that mankind has to offer. The nightmares that have physical forms and human faces. In a world where corruption continues to run rampant, it's people like her who fight to put a stop to it.

She is working: Rough hands are currently upon her pale skin. It's a touch that burns as if it were pure acid washing upon exposed soft flesh. His mouth is on hers and words are whispered upon her lips with the intent to verbally dominate and degrade her. "Fucking Bitch", he hisses at her in between clumsy and loathsome kisses. His breathing is heavy as they exit the elevator on his floor. She is granted a moment's peace once he finally pulls away.

Sakura is aware that they are out of sight from all security cameras his luxury apartment complex has to offer once the elevator door closes behind them..

Walking a short distance towards his apartment, she suddenly registers light pain as her "partner" slams her roughly against his mahogany front door. He owns the entire floor. There is zero risk of someone interrupting them or being witness to his roughhousing. She feels his rising manhood through his black slacks and her red tight cocktail dress as he closes the distance between them. It is apparent that he intends to fuck her.

She expected as much the moment he offered to take her back to his place after he bought her a second cocktail. The detail that she was a minor didn't deter him in the least . If anything, he seemed even more smitten with her when she disclosed this information at the bar. Either way, she was here. And she mentally applauded her good work. Sakura wanted him to desire her from the very beginning.

This is work. A seduction mission. She doesn't particularly like these types of missions. However, she gains solace in that every pathetic fuck she allows to touch her, it usually leads to a line of information that will aid in her quest of putting sick bastards away. Sex. As a ninja she has countless tricks up her sleeve to evade such an unsavory task. Her seduction missions typically don't make it past the first or second base. Though, _he_ doesn't know that.

A large hand grabs her at the throat. She fixes her emerald eyes on her target. Hideki Saburo. A high ranking politician with the unfortunate habit of assaulting women. He was already a concern considering that he has a trail of accusations from an alarming amount of women and teenagers. It was speculated his fortune of not properly being investigated by the police, and having gone so long without persecution was thanks to his ability of bribing top officials. In addition, it was alleged that he routinely threatened and harassed his victims if there was word his advances and assault would come to light. After the initial report, every case on him was dropped. He was already a threat to the peace. And as a result, a prime target for her agency. However, priority in his demise escalated once one of the most recent girls that accused him of assault went missing a month prior.

Initially, it looked to be a possible coincidence. Saburo didn't have a history of kidnapping or violence beyond sexual assault and verbal threats. However, evidence recently surfaced that indicated Saburo was possible suspect. A few weeks ago an Asuka Yasu had washed up on a secluded private beach a small town a ways from the capital. Hundreds of miles from her job. Which was where she was last sighted. She worked as a hostess at a high end bar downtown Konohagakure. The last person to see Asuka alive was her coworker who walked her to her car after her shift.

Asuka wasn't seen again until her body was sighted by a group of teenagers who were trespassing on the beach with the intent of Summer fun. The elation of Summer vacation was forgotten the moment her decomposing body was sighted. The cops were promptly called.

Asuka's body had been badly mutilated. And her face had been so severely beaten in that it was necessary to use dental records to identify her. Upon investigation on Sakura's part, she had came across information that Asuka was looking to push for justice. Not only that, Asuka confided in her mother that she was pregnant.

It was alleged that with Hideki's assault, she became pregnant with his child. Evidence had always been "displaced" when it came to Hideki's various cases. However, one cannot displace a child if it came to term. Meaning that Hideki had motive.

Hideki releases his hold on Sakura's neck and leans forward. His lips press upon the sensitive skin where his hand had been not so long ago. Upon this action, Sakura discreetly moves the back of her hand onto her lips. The scentless and tasteless oil upon the metal of her silver ring instantly lines her lips. While potent to her targets, she was personally immune. After all, she created the fast-acting sedative. It was a new tactic of hers, this method of poisoning. The ring was a bit outlandish, and could be considered a complicated way to transfer poison to one's target because, of course, there was always the risk of accidentally wiping the poison off from the ring. Just the absent minded habit of washing her hands could foil her plans.

However, the effort and risk, in her opinion, was worth it.

His lips trail from her exposed neck to her jaw. Sakura reluctantly uses her other hand to run delicate fingers through Hideki's thinning black and white peppered hair while simultaneously attempting to not shudder as his disgusting hands grope her small breasts. Finally, his thin chapped lips meet hers. Within seconds his body slumps forward onto her with none the wiser. His 6'1" form is easily cast aside onto the floor by arms and small calloused hands honed with handling large opponents. Searching through his pockets she easily finds the keys to his front door.

She already knows he doesn't keep security beyond the reception area. As a result, Sakura doesn't bother searching his apartment for other potential individuals. They should be alone.

Dragging the dead weight of his body into the living room, she flips on the lights and begins her search. Having studied the layout of Hideki's penthouse, she moves with the grace of someone familiar with her surroundings.

First, she went to his office. She needed access to his computer. Sakura intends to download the scope of the content from his computer onto a drive she was given to by a girl from the tech, TenTen. "Just put this into the USB compartment and leave it be for a few minutes. It'll hack past everything and give me full access to his computer."

Sakura did as she was instructed by TenTen earlier that evening.

With that done, she began to search through his office documents. There was little to be found. Except one post it note within a new notebook. A single word was written aggressively in ink.

"Tailed Beast".

Sakura frowned. Not knowing the origin but feeling that it was important, she brought out her phone from her purse and took a picture of the post-it note. Putting the notebook back in place within the drawer she had found it in, she deemed the office having nothing more useful. Pulling the device from Hideki's computer and into her black leather clutch, she continued towards what she knew would be the master bedroom.

His bedroom.

Her hand upon the brass door knob, she instinctively felt as if something were off. Senses keen and on the ready, she slowly turned the handle and peered within the dark room. Light and dark. The outline of her shadow stood confidently in the center of the doorway as light spilled from behind her.

Entering the room she switches on the light and looks around. A muffled sound instantly filters to her sensitive ears. She turns in the direction of the sound and moves cautiously. A kunai is grasped from the desecrate holster that she equipped herself upon her high inner thigh. The sound comes again as she nears what she initially perceived to be the source within the vast open bedroom. This time it is louder and undeniable.

A whimper.

Sakura's stomach drops. Before she opens the door within Hideki's closet, she knows what she'll find. Within the closet, huddled within the darkness, is a young girl of obvious foreign origin with dark tan skin, red hair, and light brown eyes. Upon seeing that it's Sakura, a woman, tears of relief and confusion whelms within the eyes of the young girl who could be no older than twelve. "W-Who are you? W-what d-d-do you want?" The girl stutters softly.

Sakura turns on the light within the closet and stoops down to the girl who she sees is shackled by her wrists.

"I'm here to help. You're safe."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Backup was requested.

While Sakura was confident that Hideki wouldn't awake for another hour or so if she took the young girl back to base, she didn't feel comfortable leaving him behind unattended. TenTen informed her over her phone that Neji would be there within a span of five minutes. The pink haired ninja felt lucky that Neji was already in the area finishing a mission of his own. "Arigatou, TenTen." "No problem. Should I inform the medical team about the girl?" "I'd say so." "Got it. Need anything else?"

"No. Thank you TenTen. You've been extremely helpful." "Anytime." the girl said, Sakura practically hearing the smirk within her response.

Putting her phone into her purse once the call ended, Sakura glanced in the direction of the young girl. No longer shackled, thanks to her lock picking skills, she sat freely within the kitchen. However, the young girl seemed skittish sitting at the white marbled kitchen island. She took nervous quick sips of water from the glass Sakura had given her not too long ago. And her hands shook aggressively as she constantly looked over her shoulder. As if waiting for something or _someone_ to attack her. Sakura's hands curled into tight white knuckled fists.

Bruises and burn marks and welts were apparent on the girl's dark skin. As Sakura had worked on the metal cuffs that were on the girl's wrists, she had noticed the vass array of marks upon her that ranged in age and severity. Giving her a blanket, providing her some decency besides the rags she wore, Sakura could think of nothing else to do beyond giving her water.

While her initial instinct was to comfort the girl, she winced with any movement she made when Sakura neared her. Meaning Sakura was best keeping a physical distance away from her. Seeing as this was a mission, and she would have to report about this incident before it was all said and done, Sakura intended to switch tactics and gain information. Her name, how long she was held captive, her age, where she was from, etc. However, the girl remained silent. It wasn't that she was being difficult, it was apparent she was overwhelmed. While grateful, the girl was on obvious edge. Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine what was going on in her head.

The marks alone on her small body indicated she had to have possibly been held captive for at least a month or so. _Years_ wouldn't dare cross her mind. Even if it were a possibility. Although Sakura had no way of knowing about the girl when she was assigned her mission, she felt personally responsible with the delay of her rescue. Having been on this case now for a little more than three weeks, she mentally berated herself for not moving faster. Not "bumping" into Hideki sooner.

While she knew she was being ridiculous, it went without consequence. Looking at the girl before her, so obviously distraught and broken, Sakura couldn't help but think of all the ways she could have accelerated her investigation. Though, she knew too that she was efficient in every task that brought her here. That was why she was given this case in the first place. She could have done nothing more than she already had to quicken her progress.

 _Tink. Tink. Tink._

Both females looked in the direction of the sound, the balcony. Staring through the glass door was Neji. A statuesque man in black with long flowing brown hair and pearly white eyes. The girl jumped from her seat and ran behind Sakura, frightened. While clearly not fond of human contact, Sakura perceived herself a safer bet than the strange man on the balcony.

"It's alright. He's a friend." Sakura stated softly, looking down at her with a small reassuring smile. Brown innocent and frightened eyes stared back at her. "I'm going to let him in. He's here to help, okay?" The girl nodded slowly.

Neji was soon on the end of the door and within the apartment. "Wasn't expecting for you to take the balcony route." "I figured since you're still undercover, it would be best if I didn't come here from the entrance. Not looking to alert the security or bring attention to myself or you." "Right."

Neji's ghost white eyes glanced at the girl. "TenTen gave me the gist of what's going on. What do you need me to do?" A part of Sakura wanted to ask Neji to take the girl back to base while she finished her search within Hideki's penthouse. Though, one glance at the young girl, who now had a vice grip on her wrist, and she knew that would be impossible. Sighing, Sakura asked Neji to finish the inspection of the penthouse for her.

"And Hideki?" Neji asked. "We have enough evidence to have the police take him into custody for the time being. The moment you're finished, call TenTen and she'll alert the authorities. By time they arrive, the sedative I gave him should be wearing off."

"Understood. Though, how do you plan to leave with her undetected? One sight of her and security will be here in seconds." "I know. I figured maybe we can get a little creative in that department."

Sakura walked casually with a large black suitcase trailing behind her. Smiling at the receptionist as she headed to the entrance, she released a mental sigh of relief. As TenTen promised, there was a car waiting for them courtesy of the agency. An inconspicuous black car. Neither luxurious or rundown. Everything about it was meant to be mundane and inconspicuous. Putting the suitcase in the back seat first, she quickly followed. Only once the door was closed and they had driven a short distance from the apartment complex did Sakura deem it safe to open the luggage.

The girl slid out. Her eyes wide. Her entire body shaking. "You're alright. You're away from the bad man." She nodded in understanding, though the shaking did not stop. Her terror proceeded throughout the thirty minute duration of the drive back to base. A large building thought to be another police station. In reality it was a front.

Hiding in plain sight was one of the largest ninja headquarters in the country. As their driver parked, Sakura turned to the girl. "You've been very brave through this whole thing. Now, I just ask you to keep that up, okay? Everyone in there is very nice and only want to make sure that you're alright."

While the young girl seemed to dislike Sakura approaching or touching her, she seemed keen to holding onto Sakura's wrist at the mention of strangers. "I'll be with you every step of the way until we figure out how to best care for you, alright?"

She nodded. It was the only main form of communication they had. Sakura would take whatever she could get.

As their driver parked their car in the garage, Sakura's phone dinged. She had a message. Glancing at her texts, she saw that Kakashi, her boss, had messaged her. "Sakura, TenTen has informed me of the situation. Once you're finished at the clinic, do come up to my office." "Yes sir." she responded quickly.

Reaching the fourth floor, Sakura admitted the girl into the clinic. As the medics tended to her, Sakura glanced at her phone while sitting a short distance away.

This time she had a message from Neji. "Finished. TenTen has been informed. Authorities will be contacted within five minutes to line up with the time Hideki's sedative will be worn off." "Perfect, thank you Neji." Not even a full minute went by and he messaged her, "I've found nothing more within his apartment. Though I will send a full and thorough report to both you and Kakashi once I reach headquarters. Do you require any further assistance with your mission?" "No." "Understood."

"Miss Haruno?" Sakura gaze moved from her phone to the medic before her. It was a man she was vaguely acquainted with. He wore seafoam scrubs and had a friendly disposition. "May I speak to you in private?" he asked. Sakura gazed at the girl from the open door who was having her heart listened to through stethoscope. "I promised her I'd stay in sight."

"Very well, I suppose this will have to do. As you can see, right now we're doing a basic check up on her. However, she will need a more thorough physical exam as well as a full psychological review. It is visibly apparent that she has had various beatings and has experienced some forms of torture. While we understand that she has experienced trauma...We don't know the full extent."

"Then what do you propose to do?" Sakura asked. "We'd like to keep her in custody for the next 24 hours, at minimum." "I'm assuming you're not asking for my permission?" "No. This is all a form of formality since you brought her in and you're obviously concerned for her wellbeing." Running thin fingers through shoulder length pink hair, Sakura sighed. "I suppose there's nothing I can do on the matter. Just... Please make sure you use only female doctors." "A fair request. I'll make sure to do my best to oblige."

Sakura wanted to think she could do more for the young girl. Though, she knew in her heart that the extent of her aid had been accomplished. She brought her back to headquarters, she did her part. She could do no more. Even with her good intentions, she was limited. "After we finish her basic examination she will be sent to the hospital. Do you wish to speak to her before then?" "Yes." "In another five minutes, then."

Grabbing her hair tie from her bag, she pulled her short hair into a high ponytail. Looking at her cocktail dress, she felt overdressed in the listless empty hallway. Peeking at her phone she realized it was nearing 1 AM. It had been a long night, and the fatigue was slowly starting to sink in.

"Miss Haruno." She glanced at the female nurse who stood in the entryway of the room the girl was in. "You may speak to her, if you'd like." Standing up, the young ninja walked the short distance from where she initially sat and to the young girl's bed. The girl, while visibly terrified, seemed to have calmed a bit compared to when she first found her shackled within the closet. One of the doctors or nurses seemed to have given her a juice box. She sucked on the straw of her apple juice with an adolescent contentedness.

"Hey," Sakura said lamely. The girl turned her attention to her, though still didn't utter a word. "You seem to be doing well." The girl didn't respond verbally or physically, her staring ensued. "...I was told that you'd be moved to a hospital. They're going to take care of you and make you all better." Make her all better? It sounded wrong even to her own ears, despite it being the truth. She needed help. But would she ever be "all better". One could hope, but neither of them could be sure.

She frowned. "Y-You won't be with me anymore?" "Right." The girl looked down, accepting this information. "I'll check on you when I can. But I can't help you anymore than I have." "What will happen to... _him_?" Hideki.

"He's being arrested. He won't and can't hurt you or anyone else anymore." Again, the girl didn't respond, but she seemed to relax a bit. Hesitating, Sakura sat down beside the girl on the small bed she was on. "Ne, what's your name?"

Mirroring Sakura's hesitation, the girl stared at her bare feet for what felt like a minute. Reluctantly, she turned to Sakura and answered, "Sawatdee." "Well, it's a bit late to do this, but what better time than now. Nice to meet you Sawatdee, I'm Sakura." A tired though genuine smile spread upon Sawatdee's lips. "Nice to meet you too."

A female nurse entered the room. "It's time." The smile disappeared from Sawatdee's face. "Stay strong." Sakura whispered to her as another nurse entered the room. Sawatdee nodded, a sudden strong front hardening on her features. Sakura felt a whelming of awe and respect.

While it was true humanity could be immensely and heartbreakingly cruel and selfish. Sakura could not deny the level of resilience that people had in the face of hardship. The sense of hope that people kept, even when there were numerous reasons to abandon it. The young girl, who she'd known for less than two hours, and the nameless nurse, left the examination room. Afterward, Sakura sat upon the bed within the empty examination for a full minute to grab her bearings.

The sound of Sakura's black leather high heels echoed within the halls of the fourth floor as she neared the elevator. Within minutes she was back on the first floor and in her superior's office. Kakashi Hatake respectfully put his infamous orange novel away in his top drawer and regarded Sakura warmly.

"You've had quite the night." As if him pointing at as much, Sakura's shoulders sagged slightly. "Yes." "You've done well. At face value, we have enough evidence to put Hideki away for a long time. Human trafficking, abuse of a child, providing a minor alcohol, pursuing a minor with the intent of sexual intercourse-" "But we haven't found out whether or not he killed Asuka!" Sakura interrupted, despite herself. While she was pleased that she had gathered enough evidence to expose and condemn Hideki… She would not be satisfied with her mission till she found out the truth.

And if Hideki was responsible for Asuka's untimely demise, then she would make sure to bring her the justice that she deserved. "This is true. You're investigation will continue. Though, for tonight, you should give yourself time to recuperate. You've infiltrated Hideki's home, saved a young girl, and have handed him to the cops. There is no way he'll be able to bribe or bully his way out of the trouble he is in."

"Word from the authorities?" Sakura asked. "Hideki was blindsighted. Obviously, he claimed his innocence to his charges. However, once word came of the girl that we found in his bedroom closet, Hideki demanded his lawyer be present during questioning and remained quiet. His silence is pointless, of course."

"Where does that leave us?" "He'll be in jail for the time being. And he is set without bail. The Land of Fire doesn't take human trafficking lightly. So, that leaves you with the fortune of continuing your investigation without worrying about him potentially assaulting another woman. Or, if he is guilty of killing our victim, murdering anyone else."

Sakura nodded. This was her first big solo case. She wanted everything to go smoothly and perfectly. So far, things had taken an unexpected turn. Though, she was grateful that at least Hideki was out of the way while she continued her mission.

"However, I didn't ask for you to come to my office to discuss Hideki." Sakura arched a pink brow, "Oh?"

"I'm assigning you another mission." Two missions at the same time? "I don't understand," Sakura began. "Why are you assinging me two missions?" "Well, because the second mission is of A rank and of high priority. No one else can complete this task safe for you. And it's urgent that we get you started."

Sakura could not deny the whelming of intrigue that grew within her stomach. "Alright." she urged Kakashi. "Konohagakure Private High School is being threatened. Or, more specifically, Sasuke Uchiha is being targeted." Sakura wouldn't have been able to hide her surprise even if she wanted to.

'Uchiha?'

"I don't understand. What does this have to do with me?" "You will be keeping surveillance of him while he's in school. The school offers superb security, seeing as how it is brimming with children from the elite and the wealthiest families of the city. However, all security is trained at a civilian level. We're suspecting that this is a ninja matter."

"And the Uchiha can't protect himself?" she asked confused.

"Exactly. For whatever reason, Fugaku Uchiha has decided not to teach or introduce the ninjutsu way to his second son, Sasuke Uchiha. Meaning, the second heir to arguably one of the most powerful ninja clans in the world is a prime target for people interested in attacking the Uchiha family." Sakura couldn't even think what to say. So, she listened as Kakashi continued.

"Fugaku intends to keep an eye on Uchiha at all times. Even whilst he is in school. We've both agreed that if someone would stage an attack or an abduction, their best chance would be on school grounds. Meaning, we needed to even the odds in our favor. You're the only capable ninja within our roster who is of age to enter not only the school, but also his class. You'll be his security until the threat is eradicated."

"Y-Yes." she responded dumbly.

"You'll be enrolled later on today. Seeing as how your investigation went on late this evening with the Asuka mission, you may start tomorrow, if you so desire." "And my mission with Asuka?" "As I said from the beginning, you'll be doing both missions. The mission with Sasuke Uchiha will solely be from Monday-Friday from 8am to 4pm, only during school hours. You may resume your other mission once class ends. Fugaku's people will take over for you the moment Sasuke Uchiha leaves the school's grounds."

Sakura's mind was reeling with this new information. 'School? Uchiha? What!?' "But...Kakashi. I've already graduated high school." "I understand as much. You went through homeschooling and graduated two years ago. However, this is irrelevant to the case at hand. If anything, it works in your favor. This particular high school is known for teaching their students at college level. I told you, you were the only capable ninja of age. You'd have to be able to keep up with your classmates."

Sakura mentally groaned, though she dutifully nodded to her superior. "Do you have any immediate questions?" "No...sir." "Perfect. This mission is top secret besides to the people who are working on this mission with you. As of now, the informed are the following: Fugaku Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, TenTen, and Neji Hyuga, Operations management and you. You are dismissed." he said with a grin. Sakura wearily walked out of Kakashi's office and towards the Tech department, specifically seeking out TenTen. After dropping off the hacking device she used on Hideki's computer, Sakura eventually drove home. Thoughts of her upcoming mission with the Uchiha all the while occupying her mind.

She was a no name ninja. She wasn't putting herself down, she just knew she had limited experience in her field. The idea that she would bodyguard _the_ second heir to the Uchiha Clan was maddening. She was not someone who was known for her abilities. So the thought that such a task belonged to her...seemed outrageous.

Though, what better of a chance to prove her abilities and make a name for herself than now, right? Although Sakura did not currently have any goals for what she wanted to do within her ninja career, getting on the good side of Fugaku Uchiha didn't seem like a bad idea. Parking her car in the driveway before her house, she smiled to herself.

This was, in a way, an extreme honor. And while she didn't exactly want for anyone to follow through with their attempt of harming Sasuke Uchiha, the fact that she was acting independently as a bodyguard excited her. She wouldn't underestimate this mission and take her task lightly. However, she felt confident that she would do well. While he was unaware of it, Sasuke Uchiha was counting on her to keep him safe while he was attending school.

And she wouldn't let him down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

With more formality than was likely necessary, she bowed respectively.

"Ohayo gozaimasu*, my name is Sakura Haruno. Please look after me." Standing before her classmates in homeroom, she introduced herself and then was assigned to an empty chair front row of the class. Lectures proceeded once she was settled in.

Sakura began her second mission the same day it was assigned, to her Superior's delight. She was briefed about her mission in further detail back at base before school started. Again, Kakashi reiterated the importance of her being discreet within her mission. The school and most of the Uchiha clan were not informed of her duty to protect and watch over Sasuke Uchiha. Not even Sasuke Uchiha knew of her identity, their world! Nevermind the fact that he was in danger.

She was informed that Fugaku Uchiha would not tolerate incompetence. Within her position as a bodyguard, she was to fulfill her duties with caution. "Keep an eye on him, but do not hover. Stay within his circle, but do not befriend him." Kakashi instructed. Too put it mildly, she wasn't thrilled with the limitations she was given.

Sakura gripped her pencil a bit too tightly as she scribbled notes mindlessly within her composition book as she thought of her conversation with Itachi Uchiha before she was dismissed.

"He isn't the type who enjoys making new friends. He's even less keen to the possibility of getting close to a girl. He's bombarded by enough of female populace within his life, especially at his school." "So," she began slowly while speaking to Itachi Uchiha, his older brother, "How do you propose I do my job? I'm not to get close to him, hover, or befriend him."

Itachi did not respond right away. His narrowed eyes said it all. While he wanted Sakura to succeed in protecting his younger brother, he did not exactly agree with _her_ being the one to aid in their regime of security. "Just keep an eye on him." He said after a moment passed. She decided after her first encounter with Fugaku and Itachi that she didn't feel anything akin to fondness or likeness to the Uchiha. While powerful and respected, they seemed cold and arrogant.

After a few hours of classes went by, lunch hour came. Sitting in the lunchroom, Sakura discreetly glanced at Sasuke Uchiha from a distance as she lethargically ate her lunch. She could see the resemblance of his father and brother. Beautiful, stern, and a "keepthefuckawayfromme" kind of air around him. Perfect. Well, Itachi did say to not hover, get close, or befriend him. With Sasuke's personality, she'd have no difficulty doing any of the above.

Green eyes returned to her bento*. Chopsticks sorting through the contents of her lunch, she eventually fixated on her pickled eggplant. "Hi." Chewing slowly, Sakura looked before her. Sitting across from her was a very recognizable Naruto Uzumaki. Cerulean eyes, blonde hair, and a warm smile. He looked much like his father, President of Konoha: Minato Namikaze.

"Hi." she responded lamely. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand towards her. She awkwardly shook it. "Sakura Haruno." While she had already introduced herself before the entire classroom, she felt unsure how else to respond.

"So, Sakura-chan," she tried to not feel irked by the familiarity he was addressing her with, "How do you like Konohagakure Private School?" She shrugged. "It's only been a few hours, so far it's alright." His smile widened at that.

"Sweet! Hey, um, do you have a boyfriend?" She choked on her rice. 'Very direct, wasn't he?' "Boyfriend?" she responded hoarsely while slapping her chest. "Y-Yea, a boyfriend." "Yes." she lied." His ears reddened slightly. "Ah, okay. Lucky guy. Anyway… I'm throwing a party this weekend, would you like to come?"

Seeing her hesitation, Naruto quickly added, "You can bring your boyfriend too! It's open to anyone." She was going to politely decline, when a boy with wild brown hair and feral eyes suddenly whacked Naruto on the head from behind, startling them both. "Ne, pervert, stop hitting on the new girl."

Naruto's hands reached for the top of his head. "I am _not_ hitting on her. I'm just being friendly, Kiba." Kiba's attention suddenly turned to her. Grinning, he asked if that was true? Glancing at Naruto's pouting face as he rubbed his head, she sighed. She responded that it was.

" _See._ Jeez, I'm always getting blamed for doing stuff." "Cause you're always guilty. Sitting next to Naruto, he regarded her warmly. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka. I'm in the other Senior class. Just across the hall from yours, if you ever want to visit." He playfully wiggled his eyebrows. She tried not to laugh, though smiled politely as she respectfully introduced herself.

"So what came first? The chicken or the egg?" Kiba asked. Sakura's quizzical expression coaxed him to explain further, "You hair, or your name? Or is your hair dyed?" Reaching for her pink tresses, Sakura examined her hair in momentary deep thought, "It's natural. And I don't know." "You've never asked your parents?"

Sakura's lips thinned. "Never got the opportunity." "Well, ask after school today!" Naruto offered goodnaturedly. Licking her lips, Sakura closed her bento. Irritation was clearly gaining momentum on her face. "Can't."

"Later then?" Sighing, she stood up and grabbed her bento. "They're dead." It wasn't often that she had to explain such a fact to people. She was homeschooled her entire life, and because she began training in the ninja way at an incredibly young age, she had few "friends"to discuss her personal life too. Though, to even call the people in her circle as friends was somewhat laughable to her. They were colleagues, nothing more. They rarely delved into each others personal lives or met outside of work. They were committed to their duty as ninja. Not to acquaint themselves to one another.

Being new to this school, she realized that this was a conversation she would probably have again at some point, much to her chagrin. The same rules within her circle of comrades would not apply here.

It was something she had failed to initially account for. Few were the moments she had encountered something such as this. The emotion of discontent was hard to hide. Though, she had no desire to discuss in more detail of her parents' demise, or of her own personal life. She was here for work. Not to make friends. Frowning, she left the table. She felt no need to say anything more.

The two boys allowed for her to leave without fuss. She was grateful for this.

The remaining hours of school was uneventful. Sakura played her role as student and focused on being diligent with her studies. Once the final bell rang, indicating school was done, she gathered her things into her bag. Taking a glance at her phone, she waited for Sasuke to leave first before she bothered getting to her feet. Thankfully, he seemed just as keen to leaving as she was. Seeing him entering a black limo at the school's gate from a comfortable distance, she went on her merry way in the direction of her own home.

Not too far from the school, she heard someone screaming her name. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed it was Naruto. He easily closed the distance between them. "Hey! You were quick to leave class. I wanted to talk to you." "About?" she asked. His eyes went to his shoes, then back to her. "Sorry about earlier. We didn't know." She shrugged. "There was no way you could have known. It's fine."

"But you were upset." Was she upset? No, she wasn't. She _was_ initially irritated. But that emotion had subsided. "I didn't want to talk about it." "Fair enough. Um… about the party?" "I don't think I'll come. It's not exactly my scene." He accepted as much with a crestfallen expression. "If you change your mind, you're always welcomed to come." "Thank you."

"And I was also wondering…" "Yes?" "Would it be okay if we traded contact information?" Sakura's initial reaction was to say no. She had zero interest befriending Naruto. However, she also didn't see any real harm in giving him her number. He seemed nice enough, even if he was rather clueless.

With a sigh, she reached in her skirt pocket and handed him her phone. His smile widened considerably. Exchanging numbers, Sakura emphasized that she had to go home. He nodded and wished her well.

As she walked home, she thought about her first day of school. Of Naruto. Of Sasuke. And she briefly wondered what the school year would entail. Her mission would surely go on for less than a year. They were all Seniors. She imagined that even if the perpetrator would not be caught, they would find someone else to take on her role once Sasuke Uchiha went off to college. Though, she was hoping it wouldn't go on longer than a month. The sooner they found the perpetrator that threatened Sasuke, the sooner she could go on with her own life.

That night Sakura typed up her daily mission report and emailed it to her Superior through their secured program. Working on only a few hours of sleep, Sakura slipped into bed early, her body exhausted.

As the week progressed, school remained free of terrorist activity and Sasuke remained in one healthy oblivious piece. Sakura continued her investigation on the Asuka case after she left school everyday. Previously, she had all day to work as she pleased. Now, she was extremely limited.

While her duty of watching Sasuke only consisted of her hours during school, Sakura unfortunately also had the unsavory task of completing the homework that was required of all seniors. An oversight on both her and Kakashi's part. Her night's sleep began to dwindle, she was not willing to compromise any more time from Asuka than she already had.

Wearing a black jumpsuit, Sakura tied up her hair in a bun, and put on her black kitten heeled boots. Placing a light jutsu to change the color of her hair and eyes into an uninspiring brown, she drove back to the restaurant that Asuka had been employed at. Kozue. Sakura knew the person she desired to speak to would be working that night. And while Sakura had already inquired on her behalf once before, she thought she'd do another round of questioning.

People, at times, remembered more events, conversations, and details once you gave them time after their initial inquiry.

When Sakura arrived, the restaurant was mostly empty. It was an hour before closing time. The dining room had been sectioned off, the candles dimmed, and the host was nowhere to be seen. There was only a bartender and one server left for the front house staff. Seeing her, the server smiled with recognition. "Miss Yuri." He greeted her by her alias.

"Hello Hayato." He was a man easily in his late twenties with light brown hair and blue eyes. Since she'd seen him last, he looked paler. More tired. Thinner. "Have you found anything new?" Sakura shook her head. "I was checking in on you to see if you remembered anything else since we last spoke?" His friendly disposition faded. Before her was a man racked with grief. "No. I've thought back to every conversation and encounter that we've had on the subject of her and Hideki. I've told you all that I know." "Do you know if she was potentially close to anyone else here?"

Looking around, he realized there were no customers within the restaurant. It was a slow Thursday night. Hayato offered her a seat at the bar. She obliged. "Take 5?" Hayato said to the bartender. The bartender, a young blonde woman with honied eyes, shrugged and left them. Solemnly, he regarded Sakura once more. "She was a nice girl. But it took awhile for her to warm up to people. We were only friendly because I'd known her for years. She was friends with my younger sister when they were in high school."

Sakura brought out her notebook. This was new and possibly helpful information to her. The thing is, most people don't realize what information could be deemed as useful. Tonight's visit at Kozue was not a waste. "What is your sister's name?" "Himi." "From your knowledge, did Asuka ever talk to your sister, Himi, about Hideki?" "No. I asked her after our first round of questioning. The last they had spoken was maybe a year or so ago." "Would you mind giving me her information? Even if it's been awhile, I'd like to ask her some questions about Asuka." "I don't mind at all."

Equipped with the new contact, Sakura made to leave. Hayato stopped her. "D-Do you think there was anything else I could have done?" Anguish overwhelmed Hayato's normally friendly disposition. He was the last man to see her alive before she disappeared.

Sakura shook her head. "No, I don't think so. You took her to her car at the end of her shift. Whoever attacked her, it is speculated they knew her schedule. She was abducted at her apartment." Hayato nodded, clearly not feeling any less burdened with emotion than before. Biting her lower lip, Sakura grasped his hand that was clutched at his side. It was an odd thing for her to do. But she couldn't help but attempt to give this man some comfort.

As individuals, we all try to equip ourselves with the nerves and means to be self-reliant. Though, despite all of the attempts and precautions that were taken, no one can achieve complete independence. As humans, we're creatures of culture and community. Sakura knew nothing of Hayato despite what she gained from her light level of questioning pertaining to the case on Asuka's homicide. However, she was not a cold person. Hayata was a person in pain, wracked with guilt. He lost a friend and felt an odd form of responsibility for Asuka's untimely demise.

Sakura didn't bother to say anything more, because she knew that at this point it would fall on deaf ears. But she hoped with her touch, her hand grasping his, that she could convey how she felt. And have him understand, truly, that he was not at fault.

"Thank you for your time and cooperation." she said, her eyes staring into his saddened blue ones. He smiled weakly. "Anytime."

She left the restaurant, her mind working on what Hayata had told her. Asuka was a person that took her time in getting to know people. So, how did Hideki get close to Asuka? Hideki easily could have approached her. Based on her own experience, he was a rather aggressive man. But, surely Asuka would have felt discomfort from having a person such as Hideki setting his sights on her? Her assumption was that Asuka would be the type of person who would distance herself from a character as vulgar as Hideki.

Sakura worried her lower lip with her teeth in thought. Neither her nor the police found someone that Asuka was close to and confided in. But surely she had someone that she talked to, besides her mother? Someone she felt comfortable with? A friend…

Friday morning Sakura walked into class somewhat haggard. She worked late into the evening with TenTen. It had taken days for TenTen to scypher through what she deemed worthy of taking a closer look into, and what they could ignore within the hacked contents of Hideki's computer. As a result, Sakura had gotten home around three in the morning, and awoke at five in the morning to finish homework. She barely made it on time to class at 8AM. With a sigh, she forced herself to pay attention to the ongoing lecture before her.

She greatly was looking forward to the weekend so that she wouldn't have to watch over Sasuke. Still, she had yet to say a single word directly to him. Which worked fine enough for her. After the final bell, she excitedly watched Sasuke enter his limo and made her own way home.

By nighttime, however, her earlier elation of being free from Sasuke deflated. Kakashi called her just as she was about to go to bed. "Sorry to do this to you, but you need to watch Sasuke tomorrow night." "What?" she asked through gritted teeth, despite herself. "He's insisting to go to Naruto's party without security. And based on your report that you sent to me Monday, I know you're invited to said party."

"That idiot." "To be fair, he doesn't know that there is an active party interested in harming him." "Why can't one of the Uchiha watch him discreetly? In the shadows? We _are_ all ninja." "As discreet as we all are, an intimate party with friends makes it difficult to watch over him up close. Even with a henge*, anyone else will stand out. " "Kakashi, this case is becoming a bit much, don't you think?" She was cutting into her ongoing investigation with Asuka because she was going to school and she was losing sleep doing senior level _homework_ , for christ's sake. While she felt honored to be given an A ranked mission, she knew she was being spread thin.

"Sakura, I wouldn't be asking this of you if it wasn't important. The Uchiha are an critical ally of Konoha. We are to do what we can for them. Fugaku, as proud as he is, has asked our assistance. I cannot deny him."

"Why can't he inform Sasuke the situation? Make him keep Security with him?" "I can't answer that." She sat at the edge of her bed and stared at her bare feet. Neon green painted toes stared back her. "Fine."

"Thank you." she could hear the relief in his voice. "Sakura, you're doing a great service." "Stop buttering me up." she grumbled. He laughed. "I look forward to your mission report on the matter over the weekend. Otherwise, keep up the good work."

Hanging up, Sakura threw her phone across the room. She wanted to do the right thing, follow up on both cases with equal vigor. But… could she really give the justice that Asuka deserved if she was spending most of her time with Sasuke? It felt unfair, a play of power and politics. Sasuke was the son of someone elite. His Uchiha influence deemed Sasuke's case as superior. While Asuka's case, on the other hand, was narrowed down to a handful of hours a day, if Sakura managed it through her homework.

Leaning onto her back upon her bed, Sakura stared at her ceiling fan. The dusty panels spinning in the air brought her no comfort or peace. "Well, I might as well text Naruto."

It was an hour commute from her house to Naruto's mansion. Initially, Sakura thought of driving there. Though, upon further thought she had to admit that parking her beat up and obvious second hand car at a mansion most likely brimming with luxury vehicles did not seem ideal to her. Sakura Haruno stood at the Uzumaki's front door wearing a red short sleeved crop top, black skinny jeans, and a pair of grey four inch heeled suede boots. It was nearly eight o'clock in the evening.

As expected, the mansion _was_ surrounded by Mercedes Benz and sleek BMWs. Sighing, she knocked on the large burgundy stained oak door. A suddenly open door exposed a woman with gorgeous red hair and a brilliant smile. Sakura recognized her as the first lady of Konoha. "Here for the party?" she asked. Sakura nodded, taking her in. "It's in the guest house out back. Come in and walk through the house to get to the backyard." The pink haired girl obliged.

While Naruto looked every bit like his father, it was obvious that the red haired woman was his mother. They had the exact same beaming smile. Sakura took one last look at the beautiful woman, and then made a beeline for the guest house. Within minutes, Sakura entered the guest house (which was the size of her own house). It was still a bit early, but there were people already inside.

Naruto, Kiba, Sasuke, a girl she recognized from her class named Ino, and a girl she didn't recognize though who donned a familiar pearly set of white eyes , were all there. They were all standing around a pool table with drinks in red plastic cups gripped within their hand. Opening the door alerted everyone to her arrival. Naruto immediately came to her the moment she entered the house. "Sakura! You made it!"

He wrapped her in a warm one armed bear hug. "Yep." she stated lamely. "Want a drink? Kiba snuck in some alcohol." He said, emphasizing his own cup once he finally released her. "Aren't you worried your mom will find out?" Sakura asked, a note of disapproval in her voice. "Of course not. She never comes to the guest house." "Ask why." Ino said, walking up to them both.

Hesitantly Sakura did so. He laughed. "Let's just say that walking in on me losing my virginity was enough of a deterrent to give mom incentive to keep a healthy distance from this place." Everyone in the room laughed, except for the pearly eyed girl that sat off at a distance from everyone. Even Sasuke chuckled under his breath. Ino handed her a red cup. A honied toned liquid that she deemed as beer was filled to the top inside.

Knowing that she was working and didn't want to be inhibited, she took the cup but promised herself she wouldn't drink any. "I'm Ino, by the way." Sakura shook the girl's hand. Being so close to the blonde she realized how beautiful she was. Long silky blonde hair that reached past her hips, large blue doe eyes, clear skin, high cheekbones, and a hourglass figure that Ino emphasized in a fashionable bright blue dress that was belted with a white satchel at her waist.

"Bombshell" instantly glittered in her mind. "Sorry I haven't introduced myself before," she said embarrassed. "You sit only a couple of seats ahead of me." Sakura shrugged. "It's okay. I'm not exactly going anywhere." Ino laughed as if she said on of the most hilarious things she had heard all day. "Totally." And the group resummed talking to one another and playing pool.

Within an hour the small guest house became filled with teenagers. With the influence of alcohol, it quickly became a loud pulsing drunk nightmare to Sakura. While keeping a trained eye on Sasuke, Sakura leaned against a wall as far as possible from the commotion that she could get.

Irritated, she couldn't help but think about all the things she'd rather be doing. Namely, working on her other mission concerning Asuka. Glancing at her phone to see if Kakashi or Intelligence messaged her, she did not sense an approaching figure. "Not into parties?"

Sasuke Uchiha was standing before her. She must have looked surprised because Sasuke suddenly seemed uncomfortable.

"You've been standing here for the last hour. I'd almost think you didn't want to be here." She **didn't** want to be here. But she felt embarrassed that Sasuke could see through her. "Why're you here?" he asked finally.

She wanted to say, "Because you're an idiot who refused to take on security". Instead she shrugged. "No reason."

He leaned on the wall next to her. "Noted." "Why are _you_ here?" she asked, knowing Sasuke hated being around people based on her observation at school this last week. "Naruto was adamant that he wanted me here." "And you listened?" Seemed very much so like an un-Uchiha thing for him to do.

"He's my best friend, and he's persistent." Sasuke admitted while drinking from his red cup. Faintly, Sakura picked up the scent of something stronger than beer. "Fair enough." "Naruto mentioned you had a boyfriend." She crossed his arms. "Yea, so?" "You're safe to be around, I think." "What do you mean?" "Except for Hinata, you're the only girl in our school who hasn't hit on me or asked me out." She knew he wasn't exaggerating. The school literally had a Sasuke Uchiha fanclub. "Less of a chance of you being annoying."

"Okay." How does one respond to that? "Also, you haven't drank anything from your cup so far. So that means I won't have to deal with your drunken antics." 'Rather perceptive of him.'

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha." he stated offhandedly while taking another sip of his drink. "Sakura Haruno." "I know." he said.

They were quiet for a moment, and stood content side by side. The music thrummed like a heartbeat within the air. The space within the house became hot and humid and smelled strongly of beer and alcohol. Sakura was not enjoying herself.

"Is your hair naturally pink?" Sakura's attention was brought back to Sasuke. He was currently looking at her intently. "Yes." He nodded awkwardly. "Naruto told me your parents died." Sakura felt her stomach knot up. "They did." she confirmed. "When?"

With irritation she said, "When I was two." He nodded again, and turned his attention from her. Staring out at the crowd, he muttered, "I'm sorry." She didn't acknowledge his apology.

"I'm drunk." he mentioned after a few quiet minutes went by. She arched a brow. "Okay."

She mentally went back and forth on whether or not she should leave him. But an inhibited Sasuke Uchiha, also meant a more vulnerable Uchiha. She calmed her breathing and focused on the crowd of teenagers who were dancing and drinking in front of her, just as he was doing.

"You're weird."

She didn't bother taking offense. "But you're also interesting." He moved to stand in front of her, forcing her to look at him again. "You don't say anything to me, but you've been watching me all week at school. Even here at the party, you haven't even introduced yourself to me. But you've been watching me. What's up with that?" Her eyes widened by a fraction. She sure as hell had been discreet keeping tabs on Sasuke. How had he noticed her vigilance over him? She hardly saw him looking back at her. Fucking Uchiha, even while they're civilian they still excel in vigilance.

"If you aren't interested in me," He leaned forward, extending an arm and placing an open palm on the wall behind her, "Why are you always watching me?"

"Oi! Bastard! Stop bothering Sakura-chan!" For once, Sakura felt thrilled for Naruto to appear. Grabbing Sasuke's shoulder from behind, he pulled Sasuke towards him. Giving Sakura her personal space back, she felt overwhelmed with gratitude.

"She has a boyfriend. Stop hitting on her." "Wasn't hitting on her." Naruto's eyes narrowed. For a moment, a bit of tension passed between them. "Whatever," Sasuke muttered, shrugging Naruto's hand off of him. He walked through the crowd and was lost from view.

Sakura was equally annoyed and relieved. Relieved to have him away from her, ceasing his round of asking troublesome questions. Annoyed, because she was supposed to be watching him.

'Dammit.'

"Sorry about him. He gets...annoying when he drinks." "It's alright. Hope he didn't say anything too mean to you." "He didn't." Naruto exhaled in relief. "Good. I think you're cool, I don't want him saying something to hurt your feelings. That bastard has no tact."

She mentally snorted, as if Naruto was one to talk. Though, she was still grateful for him intervening. She hadn't expected for Sasuke to confront her about keeping tabs on him. She would have to figure out a way to still do her job but be more discreet. "Thanks for checking up on me." she slowly responded.

"No problem," he beamed. Seemingly happy for the positive attention. "Are you having fun?" he asked finally. "Yea." "You haven't really talked to anyone." "I'm just...new to this sort of thing." "Parties?" "People." "Why?" "I've been homeschooled up till now."

Naruto's eyes widened. "No way!? That's crazy. Okay, things make sense now." Then he paused. "Wait, if you've been homeschooled, how did you meet your boyfriend?" 'Fucking hell, these perceptive teenaged civilians!'

"My foster mom's friend's son." she quickly lied. "Uh, okay." "Narutttooooo!" They both looked up. A drunk and red faced Ino stumbled to him with open arms. He grabbed her just as she tripped in their direction. "Sasuke is so meeannnnnnn. He just called me annoying. Again!"

"Well, did you try to kiss him again?" "No!" "Grope him?" "..." "Well, you should probably stop doing that." She huffed.

"Why doesn't he like me?" she whined. "Probably the whole sexual assault thing turns him off. Also, I thought you were dating Shikamaru Nara." This perked her ears. 'Shikamaru? As in, the Shikamaru Nara that worked in the intelligence department with TenTen?'

Questions might ensue once the evening was done. Who knew Shikamaru would date someone so...troublesome? Beautiful?

"We're casual." she whined, suddenly tearing up and turning her face into Naruto's chest, seeking comfort. Naruto rolled his eyes. This, obviously, wasn't an unusual occurrence.

The blonde sighed as he hugged her. The action, while meaning to be a form of affection, seemed to only make her start crying. "I-Ino?" The pearly eyed girl with long dark hair appeared. "Hinata! What do I do?" Naruto whispered despite Ino literally being in his arms. Hinata's face beamed red. "U-Uh…" And fainted.

Sakura sighed. This whole night was becoming a fucking disaster. A teenage drama infested disaster. She didn't have time for this.

It had only been a few minutes, but Sakura knew she should find Sasuke. That was why she was here. Meaning, this scene before her had nothing to do with her. "I'll be back." she told Naruto." "Where are you going?" "Bathroom." "Okay." he said with a sigh. Looking between a sobbing Ino and a comatose Hinata, he seemed a bit overwhelmed.

Fortunate for her, this wasn't her problem.

Leaving her classmates, she peered over the crowd in search of Sasuke. Placing her cup on a side table near a couch, she spun around looking for the familiar tall dark haired Uchiha. She caught sight of him through a window. He was outside talking to someone in a red hoodie. The person gave him a small round object, it looked to be a pill of some sort, and Sasuke put it in his mouth. Her instincts ignited within her. She couldn't see the face of said person, for his back was to her, but something within her demanded that she get to Sasuke immediately. Sakura rushed through the crowd.

She watched through the windows as the two moved from where they stood and towards the back of the house. Sakura franticly moved in that direction. Which proved to be difficult with an overwhelming amount of drunk dancing teenagers refusing to get out of the way. That's when she heard a crash.

The music didn't stop, and most of the teenagers were too drunk to even notice the loud invasive sound, but Sakura aggressively ran to the source. Which was the direction she was walking to anyway. Pushing people out of the way she entered the kitchen. Sasuke was leaning against a counter. His face was red, and he seemed to be having trouble standing. A broken glass was at his feet. The hooded person stood in front of Sasuke, their back still to her.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, her voice holding a note of authority. Upon her entrance, the figure stilled. Then ran.

He pushed past Sasuke and ran out the back door behind him. Her first instinct was to chase the mysterious person. She didn't understand what was going on, but she could tell that he was definitely guilty. Though, Sasuke immediately lost consciousness the moment the person left. Her priority was Sasuke Uchiha. Not to catch the mysterious person.

They were momentarily alone in the kitchen. She knew she had mere seconds of such good luck. Moving quickly, Sakura grabbed Sasuke, putting an arm around her shoulder, and walked out the back door. Outside was quiet, for the time being. Sakura immediately called Intelligence, alerting them of the situation. She was instructed that if anything went wrong, make a call, and bring Sasuke to a safe place.

Itachi had informed her before the party that a car would be parked around a corner with backup security, despite Sasuke's wishes. "The Uchiha have been alerted." TenTen stated. "Go left of the mansion and they will be there at the gate entrance." "Understood."

Supporting Sasuke's dead weight against her, she ran within the darkness in the direction she was told the car would be. Immediately, upon seeing her, two broad shouldered dark haired males with fine tailored suits emitted from the limo. They grabbed Sasuke from her.

She wasn't questioned of who she was or what happened. It became apparent that it was unnecessary to. Whether they were in on her mission or not didn't seem to matter. "Get in." One of the men said. "I don't know-" "Itachi Uchiha said you would accompany Sasuke Uchiha back to the manor. We don't have time to waste." Reluctantly, she entered the vehicle and sat next to Sasuke. The moment they began to speed off, Sakura did a basic examination on him. Her worst fear was that he ingested a dose of lethal poison, or something around the likes of it.

But with glowing hands infused with her chakra, she quickly discovered that Sasuke was not suffering from the ailments of poison. No. He was sedated. As she worked she informed the other two men within the vehicle of her findings. She was not given a response, the men simply stared ahead.

Upon arrival at the Uchiha manor, medics immediately reached past her and for Sasuke. Once he was carried away in a stretcher, out of her sight, Itachi walked up to her. While his face was free of expression, she could sense his disapproval over their current situation.

"Father cares to speak to you within his study." She nodded and followed him through the impressively large compound towards their destination. Opening a looming door, Itachi watched her walk alone into the study and closed the door behind her.

Fugaku Uchiha did not acknowledge her for a good five minutes as she stood in front of his impressive grand desk. He sorted through various documents as she stood before him. And didn't bother addressing her till he felt ready.

"Miss Haruno."

"Sir."

"It seems that my son has been poisoned." She wanted to correct him. Sasuke had been sedated with a low dosage of a currently unknown drug, not poisoned. Sedation knocks one out. Poison corrupts the immune system, overwhelms it, destroys cells and organs and tissues. However, considering he was _the_ fucking head of the Uchiha clan, she thought better of it. "Yes." she finally confirmed. "Under your watch." Slowly, "Yes," drifted from her lips. He finally tore his eyes from his papers and looked at her.

"Do you not take your mission seriously?" "I do take it seriously. He walked off. He must have been out of my watch for a minute and-" "I don't care to hear the ramblings of your incompetence." Sakura's palms began to sweat.

"You were informed that this is an A-Ranked mission, yes? Were you informed that ANBU typically take on missions of such caliber?" She nodded. "However, Kakashi informed me that you're the only ninja available that is appropriate to take on this case. He spoke highly of you, I might add." She nodded.

"I was assured that you were an efficient worker. He told me to have faith in your abilities. I have to say, Miss. Haruno, I'm disappointed." Dark brown eyes melded to a horrific crimson. She tried not to be intimidated by the sight. The sharingan was deemed one of the most dangerous weapons in their world. It is a powerful ability that allowed for the user to read their opponents movements and techniques seconds before it was completed. This allowed for them to perfectly diffuse, defend against, or copy their opponents attacks. Additionally, advanced sharingan users possessed powerful genjutsu that was rivaled by none: A technique that overwhelmed an individual's mind and senses and could even evoke madness. She dared to not even blink.

"Thankfully you were swift in recovering him. But may I ask, what if someone decided to cut his jugular? Impale him? Shoot him? Miss Haruno? There would be no recovering from that."

"Considering you are still the only ninja that is capable of taking on this mission, for the time being, we are forced to continue on with you as Sasuke's bodyguard. However, do understand that if such an occurrence happens again, you won't just be fired. Your career as a ninja will be finished. And as I'm sure you're aware, the Uchiha have their hands in many fields beyond that of just our world. I do hope you have a passport if you wish to ever work again."

'Translation,' she thought to herself, 'You'll be fucked unless you move out of the country.' "If my son is harmed in any way while under your watch, I will not hesitate to mirror his afflictions tenfold onto you." She nodded, her gaze unwavering.

"If I may sir…" "You may." "I understand what is at stake. But me not being able to introduce my intent to Sasuke is making my job difficult. This evening he confronted me of my habit of watching him." "This is not my problem." "It is! Because I cannot properly do my job that _you_ have assigned me." "You will not tell him that you are his bodyguard. It will raise too many questions." "Why does that matter?"

His eyes narrowed. Wrong thing to ask, apparently. "Do not question my reasoning, little girl." "I'm just trying to understand. I am doing my best to follow through with my job. However, you have stated that you do not openly want me to address Sasuke's wellbeing. So I stand in the sidelines and get called out instead. I'm left looking like a stalker, in his eyes. Which I am sure will result in him actively avoiding me. Making my job harder. This evening was a result of him being alone. He was alone because he was confronting me on questions I was ordered not to answer."

A look of acknowledgement crossed Fugaku's face. "I will take full responsibility if I fail to meet your standards in protecting Sasuke, Sir. But I ask that you give me a fair shot at doing my job. I'm left handicapped in a task that could potentially put Sasuke's life at stake, if tonight was an indication of anything."

"A fair statement. I will discuss this matter with Kakashi."

She didn't know what there was to discuss. It was obvious, to her, what needed to be done. Tell Sasuke the truth. That way he wouldn't be so difficult when it came to security. That way she could do her job. That way they could all keep him safe!

"You may leave." he said finally, his gaze lowering back to the documents before him. She wanted to argue with him. To reach a solution _now_. Though, she knew it was useless. She was a low level ninja. Her opinions of the matter have been heard. That's all she could hope for, really.

Leaving the study, Itachi watched her expectedly. "I see you're in one piece." "Ha. Ha." she laughed humorously. "How is he?" Meaning Sasuke. "Fine. The sedative he was given will most likely wear off in a few hours. But you already knew that. You informing the guards of your conclusion during the examination on the ride here saved medics some time." She nodded.

"Next time, keep a better eye on him." "I've already been lectured." He beckoned her to follow him without acknowledging her statement. Her temper flared, but she kept it at bay. Next time, she'd have to remember to decline working for any Uchiha. They were a nightmare to please.

 **Terms used in the fanfiction:**

 **Ohayo gozaimasu:** A formal way to say hello.

 **Bento:** Japanese lunch box

 **Hai:** Yes

 **Henge:** A transformation technique that disguises an individual

 **Comments from author:**

Thank you to everyone who has begun to follow my fanfic! I appreciate it! I hope that you'll enjoy what is to come within this story!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Naruto characters

 **Chapter 4**

Kakashi called before the sun made it's appreciated presence known within the dark early morning sky. Sakura felt cold sitting at her dining room table when she answered.

He didn't lecture her. He didn't insult her intelligence or competence, as Fugaku did. In fact, he hardly said much.

"Take the day off. Fugaku is keeping Sasuke home for the next twenty four hours as a safety precaution."

And he left it at that.

His lack of bringing up the situation that led to Sasuke's home bound predicament made her sense an air of disappointment. He hung up before she could offer a word about what happened. She was left feeling as if a rock had settled in the bottom of her stomach.

What the fuck? She didn't do anything wrong! It was _their_ faults for placing limitations on her that would hinder her ability to do her job!

Placing her forehead on folded arms, she thought back about her conversation with Fugaku, Itachi, and even her brief interactment with Kakashi. Suddenly, she felt as if she were in over her head. An A-Ranked mission? She wasn't even through with her B-Ranked mission! Why did Kakashi recommend her for this task? Why did he order her to do two missions at once? Groaning within the darkness of her folded arms, she didn't sense her Foster mom's approach.

"You gonna quit your whining at some point?" Glancing upwards, Sakura took in the bodacious figure of the blonde woman before her. Tsunade stood at the table with folded arms and a hardened expression. Despite having her hair in two low pigtails, she was every inch as intimidating as Fugaku. "I was told I could take the day off." "But you're going to work anyway, right?" "I think...I might take the day to recoup."

"Why?" Sakura glared at Tsunade. 'Why? Because I deserve it!' As if reading her mind Tsunade rolled her eyes and demanded for her to get over herself. "So you're overwhelmed? Get in line. You're a ninja. Not a pampered princess. If you're not going to school, you should work on the Asuka Yasu case. You've been complaining not having a full day to focus on your initial mission all week."

"I'm tired." Sakura stated with narrowed green eyes. "Honey, get used to it. Like I said, you're a ninja." "But!"

Tsunade slammed her hands on the wooden surface of their dining room table. Small splinters erupted from it's once smooth dark stained surface. "I did not raise you to complain or make excuses. I made you into a ninja. A good one, at that. Just because you're tired and frustrated doesn't give you the right to ignore your responsibilities." "Kakashi said-" "I don't care what you _think_ Kakashi said. He's known for playing games and testing people. Especially newcomers like you. Look beneath the underneath."

"You don't know what he's asked of me within this other mission." Tsunade was not graced with knowing the specifics of Sakura's mission with the Uchihas. She was only informed that Sakura would be attending one of the most elite private high schools in the country on the dime of Konoha. She was sure Kakashi told her not to ask questions. And Tsunade didn't.

"I don't care." The blonde woman responded simply. "Kakashi gave you a workload he believes you can handle. And yet you are sitting here with your tail beneath your legs. Get. Up." 'Kakashi believed in her?'

'Hah. Tsunade didn't know him as well as she thought. Kakashi didn't believe in her. She was just the only one left to take on the mission. He might as well have sacrificed her to the Uchihas.' "Stop moping." Tsunade demanded.

"I'm not moping." "Your lip is poked out." "Is not!" Tsunade rolled her eyes and walked up to her. Placing a comforting hand on top of her head, she stared down at her without a hint of judgement in her eyes.

"You're smart and hardworking. But you're also frustrated. You'll have many more moments of frustration in your life. Especially if you're interesting in staying on the field. It's rare in one's career when the Hokage deems a ninja capable of taking on two high ranked missions at once. Get through this, and you'll not only feel proud of yourself, but your comrades will take notice of you too."

"He's asking too much from me." "He's pushing you. Just as I have over the years." Sakura paused in thought as Tsunade retreated her reassuring hand from her head. "Did you eat breakfast already?" Sakura shook her head. She tsked in discontent. "Didn't I teach you to take care of yourself? Jeez…" she said. Though, despite her tone of disapproval, she moved to make strawberry pancakes.

Sakura's favorite.

Watching as Tsunade whisked batter in a large steel bowl, Sakura's phone dinged. Glancing at her text notification, it was Naruto that texted her.

"You alright?"

Her fingers danced across the glass screen of her phone. "Yea, why?" Her phone dinged within seconds. "You and Sasuke disappeared last night." She sighed. Right, she had yet to make an excuse. She wondered if the Uchiha gave an excuse for them in her stead." Cautiously, she responded. "Yea, and?"

He didn't respond for a few minutes. Her hands subconsciously began to sweat. "He isn't answering his phone... Did you guys leave together?"

"No."

"It's okay if you did."

"We didn't."

"Alright…"

She scratched her cheek, thinking what to text next.

"Something came up. I had to go head home."

"Sakura. I don't like liars."

She felt her body freeze. Did someone see her? Did _he_ see them leave? She tried to move quickly last night. Tried to be discreet. "Just say what you have to say."

Instead of the text that she was expecting, he called her. With reluctance, she answered. "My mom asked about it this morning. She said she saw you both leave in Sasuke's family's car." Sakura didn't know what to say. "You could have just told me the truth."

"I honestly hoped that nobody saw us." "Are you two together?" "Me and Sasuke?" "Yea." "Absolutely not."

"Are you lying again?" "I am not." "Sasuke doesn't talk to girls. And the fact that his security allowed for you both to enter the Uchiha's car…" "Look, talk to the Uchihas. I'm not supposed to talk about what happened."

"Why?"

"I'm just not supposed to."

"Sakura, get off the phone. It's time for breakfast." Tsunade stated rather loudly. "Is that your mom?" "Yea." "Sakura." Tsunade voice boomed dangerously. "Look, I have to go. I'll talk to you later." "Fine."

He hung up. Again, Sakura felt that same unpleasant feeling lingering in the pit of her stomach. "He was rather inquestive." Tsunade said while placing butter and maple syrup in front of Sakura's blue plate and strawberry short stack.

"You were rather loud." "You didn't want to answer any more questions, didn't you?" Sakura grabbed the fork Tsunade gave her and began eating. "You play a rather convincing role of a nagging mother."

"Watch yourself, kid. Or next time I'll leave you to the wolves." Despite herself, Sakura laughed. Tsunade sat next to her. "Who was that?"

"A kid from school." "Hm… Uchiha, huh?" Sakura slowed her chewing. "Be careful with that clan. I'm sure you've realized how arrogant they can be. They're also rather cut throat." "Yea…"

"Don't worry. I won't pry. I know your mission is top secret and all that." She began to indulge in her own plate of food. "Sakura…"

"Yea?"

"You know, if things get tough, you can always come to me." "I know." "Even if you can't talk about the specifics, I'm here to listen. You can vent to me, if you want. Me or Shizune."

Shizune was a close member of their family. Continuing the trend of not being blood related, she was a close confident of Tsunade. And like Tsunade, Sakura trusted her with her life.

"...Okay."

The two ate breakfast quietly after that. Upon finishing early, Sakura did the dishes then went to her bedroom. A nook of a space within the small house she considered home. Sitting at her desk, she reviewed her mission report that she had written last night.

Sighing, she considered her frustration. Tsunade was right, she had to get over herself. The limitations she was given within this mission shouldn't matter. She needed to realize that she was a full bonafide ninja now.

Looking at it, now that she had calmed down, this was a rather easy A-Ranked mission. She wasn't asked to find the perpetrators that threatened Sasuke Uchiha. She was simply assigned to watch him. While the restrictions she was given were less than ideal, she should feel grateful that she was getting handsomely paid to watch Sasuke only during school.

Tsunade was right. She was being ridiculous with her frustration. Taking a deep breath in, she sent her mission report to Kakashi.

He gave her the option to take time off. She would continue to work instead.

Hours later, now entering early evening, Sakura gave Himi Nakamura, Hayate's little sister, a call.

"Hi, Hayate mentioned I might hear from you."

"Yes. I was hoping you were free and I'd be able to ask you a few questions pertaining to Asuka Yasu."

"Ask away."

"Great. What was your relationship with Asuka?" Himi paused over the line. "I'd say in High school we were rather close. We both enjoyed talking about politics and current events. We even started a club focused on topics related to politics." Sakura wrote this information down within a notepad. "Were you still close after high school?" "No, we drifted apart. Going to different universities put somewhat of a rift within our relationship. Especially since I studied abroad."

"Did you and Asuka stay in touch?" "To a degree, yes. Bi-monthly catch up sessions over the phone. Nothing more." "How would you describe Asuka's character?" "Like, her personality?"

"Yes."

"Mmmm," she hummed aloud in thought. "I'd say she was usually a quiet girl. But if she was passionate about something, she was completely different. She became more fired up." "Can you give me an example?" "Human rights. She hated seeing people be taken advantage of. She's always been that way. You'd never guess this quiet timid girl could get so aggressive."

"Aggressive?" "Yea. In conversation, and even physically." "How so?" "Okay, so there was an incident in high school. A guy a grade below us was getting horribly harassed by some kids in our class. After a month, Asuka got fed up. She called them out." "And what happened then?" "They retaliated by harassing her too. You know, the classic pranks. Tacks in shoes, stealing her bag, stuff like that."

"And how did she react to that?" "At first? She didn't. But something happened and she literally fought back. One day a girl pushed the underclassman down the stairs. He ended up going to the hospital. Fed up, she attacked the girl. They were both suspended, but the bullying stopped."

Sakura paused, her pen in mid-motion above the paper she was scribbling on, and asked, "Would you say that this passion for human rights remained in her adult years?" "Absolutely. Asuka could not stand seeing people being taken advantage of." "From your knowledge, did Asuka have any close friends?"

"After high school, she typically stayed more to herself besides volunteering and work. She volunteered a lot, last I checked. At domestic women shelters and helping out at hotlines." "Hotlines?" "Well, yea. Suicide hotlines and what not. I think she was in the process of getting hired at one of the organizations she was volunteering at, from what I recall." "If you hadn't kept up with Asuka, how did you know where she volunteered and applied at?"

Sakura imagined Himi shrugging as she said, "Social media."

Sakura had attempted to look at Asuka's social media, specifically Konoha Social's website, in the beginning. But it was a private profile. The only people able to view it was accepted friends. "Right." Seconds passed till she asked, "Was Asuka close with anyone that you're aware of?" "I think she spoke to one of our classmates from time to time. They volunteered together at one of those hotlines. Besides that, not that I know of." "Do you mind giving me their contact information?" "Of course not."

Looking at her notepad, Sakura reviewed her notes from her interview with Himi. Initially, the information that Asuka was a passionate fighter when it came to social justice threw her off. From the few people she interviewed, it seemed that Asuka preferred to keep a distance from confrontation and prefered to go under the radar.

Though, thinking about her ambition to go after Hideki despite possibly being bribed and threatened, it seemed to make sense. She couldn't stand bad people taking advantage of others. Looking at the new contact Himi gave her that she had written on her notepad, she considered Daisuke Kobayashi.

Making the call, Daisuke answered within three rings. "Hello?" "Hi, my name is Sakura Haruno and I'm investigating the homicide of Asuka Yasu. I was wondering if I could meet with you sometime this week to ask some questions?" "How did you get this number?" "One of your high school classmates gave it to me."

He didn't immediately respond. She counted to thirteen till he finally said, "That's fine. I have time today within the next hour. Would you care to meet up at a coffee shop downtown?"

"Not at all."

He gave her the address of the coffee shop. After hanging up, she placed the basic henge that colored her hair and eyes and then got dressed. Wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button down, she got into her car and made the commute to the coffee shop.

The coffee shop, named **時** [Toki] ***** Coffee, was an older rundown establishment that was a bit of a whole in the wall. When she arrived it was mostly empty, safe for one man that sat with his back to her at a small round table, who she assumed was Daisuke, and 2 employees. Grabbing a tea in a to-go cup, she directed her attention to Daisuke. He looked up from his steaming mug when she sat down in front of him.

"Haruno-San?" he asked slowly. She made a nod of recognition. "You're rather young for someone who's investigating a homicide." "I assure you," she said while showing Daisuke her faux police badge, "I'm of age." He settled in his seat, an expression that clearly reflected his uncertainty. But he responded when she began her questioning.

"Daisuke Kobayashi, from what I gather, you're an old classmate of Asuka Yasu, and you were a fellow volunteer at a nonprofit with her. Is this correct?" "It is." he said with confidence. "How was your relationship with her?" "She was a nice girl. We got along." "Were you close?"

"Not necessarily. Within the duration of our relationship as classmates and friends, we rarely hung out besides when we were in school or when we volunteered." "You said you rarely spent time outside of those establishments, but that doesn't sound like you never did. _Did_ you two spend time together outside of volunteering?" "Every blue moon." He admitted.

"How would you explain her personality, overall?" "Caring. She was motivated to helping people." "Hence the volunteering." "For as long as I've known her, she was always like that." "Within the last month that she volunteered and she was alive, would you say she seemed different?"

"Not necessarily. She remained passionate about what she did. If she was going through something, she didn't act like it." "Daisuke, are you aware she was pressing charges to a Hideki Saburo?" It was settle, but he flinched. "No, I was not." "Did she speak about her assault from Hideki Saburo?" He wouldn't look her in the eye, "No." "Are you familiar with who Hideki Saburo is?"

He flinched again. "He's a politician." "Yes. But something tells me that you know something more about Saburo." He lowers his eyes. "Care to share?" He opens his mouth, but no words came out. Shutting it, he palms the sides of his mug and stares at the steaming liquid within his cup.

For a moment, she thinks he won't say anything. He proves her wrong. "Hideki Saburo…" "Yes?" she urges gently. "He's my uncle." "But your surnames?" "He's my mom's older brother. I, understandably so, took my father's name, Kobayashi." "Did Asuka meet Hideki Saburo through you?"

"Indirectly." he admitted with a frown.

"Care to further explain?" "We were having a drink at a bar after volunteering. My uncle noticed me and came by to say hello." "And he noticed Asuka." "He was polite. But...I never saw any exchanges besides their respectable hellos and introductions." "Are you sure?" He nodded.

He still wouldn't look Sakura in the eye.

"What was the name of the restaurant that you two ran into Saburo?" "The Lounge."

Sakura asked a few more questions. The name of the nonprofit they volunteered at, Daisuke's relationship with Hideki, and what he did for work. Making notes within her notebook, that she pulled out halfway into their conversation, she paused.

"You spent a lot of time with Asuka while volunteering. You said twice a week, three hours at a time, for the last year and a half." "In theory we spent a lot of time in each other's company, but when we volunteered we were often on the phones. We didn't speak much when we were working." "Do you know of any other friends she was close to?" "Asuka didn't advertise her personal life, so I can't quite say for sure..." "Except on her social media." Sakura clarified. Puzzled, he knit his brows. "Social media?" "She posted about work and volunteering, right? So she must have posted something about hanging out with friends too."

"No." he said slowly. Taking out his phone, he showed Sakura Asuka Yasu's profile page on Konoha Social, a commonly used website and app service that connected users and allowed for them to post pictures, updates, and whatever else that intrigued them. Studying Asuka's page, she realized that it was blank besides her profile picture and name.

It was a candid image of a smiling young woman with shoulder length black hair, red lips, and kind eyes. It looked to be a hot day, she was wearing a white tank top and was holding an ice cream cone that had rainbow sprinkles. Sakura frowned. Himi lied to her. She said that Asuka posted about herself on her social media. That's how she knew about what went on in her life.

But why would she lie to Sakura? 'She knows something, that's why.' she thought to herself.

Giving Daisuke back his phone, she regarded him hestiently. "Do you keep up with Himi Nakamura?" "Yea. We still talk. She even met with us a few times when we occasionally went to The Lounge for drinks." "She and Asuka were friends?" Daisuke shrugged. "I mean, they seemed like it. I know they spent more time together than I did with either of them."

Sakura smiled at Daisuke. "Thank you, Kobayashi-San, for your time." "Sure, anytime." he said. "I will contact you if I have any more questions. Here's my card, if you think of anything else."

He took the ivory hued business card from her and regarded it. "Anytime." he repeated.

Despite it not being late in the slightest that Sunday evening, the roads were mostly empty and the city felt deserted.

Driving back to her house, she thought of her conversations with both Himi and Daisuke. Both of them gave her helpful information concerning her quest for truth when it came to Asuka Yasu's personal life. That being said, they both were holding back information. Why? Well, with Daisuke, she could easily peg his hesitation to reveal everything he knows onto family loyalty. He probably wouldn't admit to her all that he knew of Hideki out of some strange form of misguided family duty. Himi, on the other hand, had no such excuse.

She lied not only to her, but to her older brother, Hayate. Why? Turning left at a light, she mentally listed what she knew of Himi. She studied abroad, but was currently living back in konoha. She spent time with Asuka Yasu, but lied about as much to her and her sibling. What was her reasoning?

Merging on the highway, she peered at her surroundings. The sun was setting leaving a warm multi-colored hued residue within the sky. Continuing her mental rundown of the two interviews she gave that day, five minutes into her drive, she came up with no answers to her questions. "Oh fuck it. I'll give my mind a break for the night and in the morning I'll look at everything with fresh eyes." Nevermind that she was going to school early that morning.

Sakura casually looked at her rearview mirror as she turned on her radio. Even with her quick reaction time, she could not have evaded the hit even if she wanted to.

A car crashed into her from behind with such force, her vehicle was pushed into the car before her. Her head flung first front, hitting her steering wheel, then back into her headrest. Glass shattered, cutting her arms and her face. Her ears sang with static and a high pitched ring.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and darkness ensued.

When she came to, an individual with a surgical white face mask was staring down at her. He wore thin black wired round specs.

This was the first thing she could mentally concur as a reality. The sight of a concerned doctor. The second sense that came to her was smell. The scent of antiseptic felt overwhelming. Third, was feeling. Extreme pain radiated throughout her body.

"Haruno-San, can you hear me?" She groaned a yes. He put a light to her eyes, she squinted. "You had quite the accident, didn't you?"

"What?"

She didn't understand at first. Then, it all came back to her. The car crash. "What happened?" "We were hoping that once you grabbed your bearings, you'd tell us." He furthered his examination of her as he explained, "There was a three vehicle car crash on the highway. But the initial car that was regarded to have hit you had no one inside once authorities came to."

"I don't understand." "That's quite alright. Don't worry about that now… Haruno-San, as I'm sure you're probably aware, you have a concussion." "Anything else?" "A broken arm that we fixed, and some bruising in the ribs from the airbags. A few minor cuts and bruises hardly worth mentioning and that was easy to patch up. Tsunade, of course, did the honors. Overall, for an accident on the highway, you were lucky." Sakura mentally commented that she didn't feel like she was lucky.

"You'll be sore for the next week or so, despite our healing. But you'll be fine. As for your concussion, you'll need to be watch for the next twenty four hours. Your guardian is aware of as much."

"Okay." she stated dumbly, still trying to understand what the hell happened to her, even despite knowing very well that she was in an accident.

"Do you feel well enough for the Hockage to come speak to you?" "I guess…" "Good." a relaxed voice stated, Kakashi finally making his presence known. "I'll take my leave, then." the doctor said.

Sakura slowly sat upright in the bed she was laying in. She looked at her arm and realized an IV was inserted in it, and frowned. She moved to take it out. "Now, now, I wouldn't do that." She sighed.

"You had quite the accident." "Yes." "An accident that seemed coordinated." "Because the driver responsible for the act is missing?" "Yes." "What were you doing before the accident occurred?" "Interviewing someone related to the Asuka Yasu mission."

"Did you gain valuable intel?" "I...think so." she said, her mind fuzzy. "Hm." "What are you thinking? "It's hard to say if this incident is related to the Asuka Yasu case, or the mission dealing with the Uchiha." "I should feel so lucky that I'm becoming a popular target," she muttered to herself, dryly.

Kakashi chuckled, but the sound seemed forced. "You've got a lot on your plate. I thought I told you to take the day off." "I wanted to stay productive." "Mm." he hummed with approval.

"Sakura, you've done well as a Chunin* taking on two important and arguably dangerous missions by yourself. However, this incident makes me think I should partner you with someone." "I thought we didn't have the manpower." "We technically don't. But I won't allow for you to be harmed in the line of duty if I can help it. That, and Tsunade has made it clear of what will happen to me if I don't find a way to 'better equip you for success'."

'Tsunade spoke to Kakashi?' She equally felt curious and mortified.

"Neji Hyuga is someone that has aided you in the Asuka Yasu case already. When you're working on the field, he will accompany you. Previously, he has offered to help you in the case that you need it. He has been informed of his permanent role within this mission and has regarded as such with respectable eagerness. " her brows rose in surprise. Neji was Jounin*. He was known for taking on multiple missions at a time and having an unparalleled success rate.

Since she started taking missions solo last year, Neji had been involved, one way or another, within most of her missions. Though, never had they officially partnered up.

She felt equal levels revealed to be having help, and also intimidated. Would she be able to match Neji's excellence? Even though she was confident in her work, she could not deny that Neji was a prodigy! Just thinking about the potentially long term level of his expectations made her nauseous. Or maybe that was the concussion's doing. She put a hand to her head, it ached. Noticing her forlorn expression, Kakashi asked if she was alright.

"Headache."

"Right." he said understandably. "Well, I won't keep you. Neji will message you soon about coordinating your investigation. Till then, get better Sakura."

Tsunade drove them home. Sakura could feel her careful though watchful gaze trained on her the entire time. Parking their car and turning off the ignition, Sakura slowly followed Tsunade out the car and to their house, though paused when she heard, "Why the hell are _you_ here?" Slowly, she regarded the tall figure that stood on the lit front porch of their house.

Itachi Uchiha.

"I need to speak to Sakura Haruno." "She can't talk right now." Tsunade said with more venom than was probably necessary. "It'll only take a moment." Itachi insisted. "It's alright." Sakura said. Her voice tired.

Sitting within her living room, she handed Itachi a cup of green tea that Tsunade made. He formally accepted her hospitality with a nod. She tried not to wonder if the quality of the tea she gave him met within the spectrum of what he was used to.

Sitting across from Itachi in a cream armchair, she ignored her headache as he began, "We have heard of the incident concerning your accident." She wasn't surprised, and didn't voice as much. "We believe that the culprit after Sasuke is not responsible." "Okay." "Though, father has realized that perhaps you should receive assistance with Sasuke's protection since you seem to also have your hands full." She arched a brow.

"On occasion when you will be performing your bodyguard duties for Sasuke outside of school, I will be accompanying you in disguise." "Alright?" "Kakashi has informed us that you've revealed that you have a boyfriend To Naruto and to Sasuke. I will play the role via henge so that you won't be burdened with being solely responsible for Sasuke in the unfortunate event an incident shall occur outside of school."

She was still focusing on the "Itachi being her boyfriend" bit.

"As for the concern of Sasuke possibly avoiding you in the event he thinks you're a 'stalker', as you put it; we've informed him that you're the daughter of a close family friend. Father has stated that he wasn't aware that you were enrolled within Sasuke's school, and you were simply shy in introducing yourself since you two never met personally. Sasuke has been asked to 'watch over' you."

She would have laughed if her head wasn't throbbing. Sasuke watch over _her_? 'Right.'

"As for the incident with Sasuke the previous night, through our own investigation we've uncovered the individual who gave Sasuke the drugs. He was a teenager from another school who was selling him prescriptions that he had stolen. Apparently the pills belonged to his parents. He didn't know what they were and was attempting to make some side cash. There was no intentional foul play."

Sakura mentally sighed in relief. "Anything else?" she asked, her elbow on the chair's armrest, her hand supporting her head. Itachi stated that there was not. "Perfect. Well, I appreciate the update on everything. Tell your father I am grateful for placing the appropriate changes so that I may do my job more efficiently."

Itachi got to his feet. "I will see myself out. You've had a long night." She gave him a lethargic thumbs up. Even talking seemed too much a task to complete.

"Till next time."

And the infamous Itachi Uchiha was gone.

 **Terms used in the fanfiction:**

 **時** **: Toki:** Time

 **Chunin and Jounin:** Levels given to ninja within the Naruto universe based on competence within their craft. In order it goes: Genin, Chunin, Jounin, Kage, ANBU.

 **Author comments:**

I can't believe we're already on Chapter 4! Ahh! Major thanks to everyone who is following or has favorited this story. I'm super grateful! This chapter has set the stage for some important upcoming events. I'm excited to expose all that is to come within this fic! Look forward to the next chapter, there'll finally be some action. Hopefully I'll keep up my pace of posting weekly!

Thanks again and I'll see you next time!

xoxo


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Chakra.

Most ninjas have trained to harness their own energy into being able to complete amazing Justus. For battle, for protection, and in medical ninjas' case, for healing.

With the aid of perfectly harnessed Chakra, a medical ninja could seamlessly mend together fragile bone, knit together skin, heal sickness, and rebuke infection. However, while practically miraculous, even medical ninjutsu had its limits.

Sakura's injuries were standard for her type of automobile accident. And while the medical ninja tended to her quickly and efficiently, she was still weak and aching the next day. While the worst was tended to, her concussion was severe enough for her to take time off school. Her cuts were gone, but the bruising the next day was extensive.

Monday morning Sakura found it hard to leave her warm bed. Even on her worst days of training or physical altercation in missions, she could not recall having ever felt so worn out and sore. She turned within the safety and comfort of her bed and reached for her phone. There was a message from her superior waiting for her.

Kakashi informed her that Neji was now equipped with a copy of all of her daily reports and notes for the Asuka mission. In another message, said brunette ninja reported that he would be investigating Himi and Daisuke's background rather than ask more questions directly to them that they could potentially lie to. "I'll report back once I've found something."

"Okay," she responded simply to the both of them.

The moment she discarded her cell phone onto her nightstand, she heard a soft rapt upon her bedroom door. Tsunade entered her room with a warm smile. "Hey, kiddo, ready for some breakfast?" Sakura answered with an eager, "yes." Consequently, the bodacious blonde woman placed a brown tray in front of her and over her lap. Strawberry pancakes, again. And over-hard eggs and a glass of orange juice. She was spoiling her. "Anything hurting?"

"Just sore." "And your head?" "Well, that hurts too." "Worse or the same?" "Same." Tsunade lifted a green glowing hand to her head. "Mmm, well, with time it'll get better. But for now…" Sakura felt some of the pain ease and relaxed even further within her bed. "Do you need anything? I'm going to be heading to work pretty soon."

"I'm alright." "Okay, message or call me if you feel any worse. I mean it, Sakura." "I know, I know." Tsunade sighed and kissed Sakura's hair. "Alright, I'll be going then. Shizune will be stopping by later on today to check up on you." "I'm fine." Tsunade smiled as response and took her leave.

There's an array of jobs that ninja fill. Many decide on positions where they can specialize in one area in particular. Tsunade, however, has many roles. She is a doctor within the civilian Konohagakure hospital and she does some field ninja work. Additionally, Tsunade was an ambassador. She often travels to help on important medical cases and even does occasional seminars at large universities. Her work is highly regarded in both, the medical and ninja verse.

She was a woman that Sakura hoped to emulate in her own way, one day. Tsunade said she was on her way. Sometimes, Sakura wasn't so sure. Glancing at her phone, she toyed with the idea of at least reviewing her notes for the Asuke case. But even with Tsunade easing some of her the pain with her head injury, she still didn't feel up to doing much more than lying in bed.

For the next few days, that's all she did. Stay in bed.

Wednesday Sakura finally went to school. While still sore and with a bit of a headache, despite her healing, she couldn't find any reason to delay her duties. Tsunade wanted her to stay home for one more day, but Sakura promised she felt well enough to go to school. Reluctantly, Sakura was allowed to go. On the condition that she allowed for Shizune and Tsunade to drive her to and from. Graciously, Sakura complied.

Sitting in her normal seat a few minutes before the bell rang, she took out her notebooks and pencil case. She wondered about the notes that she missed during her absence, but figured she would talk to her teacher after class since he wasn't in yet. Glancing around, she didn't see Naruto or Sasuke in class. Though, she figured they would be in soon enough.

Putting her phone on silent and then placing the object into her skirt pocket, she glanced upward once a dark shadow was cast upon her person. Sasuke Uchiha was standing before her. "You seem to be alright."

"Yea." "Father told me about your accident… And how our families know each other." "Okay." She could never recall a better way to respond to Sasuke than dull one-worded responses. "I've been asked to look out for you while you're in school. So...yea." Having almost forgotten her conversation with Itachi, she was momentarily confused and shocked. Then everything slowly made sense. The guise of it all was meant to make her job easier for watching over Sasuke at school.

Somewhat ironic, if you think about it. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," she responded.

And the school bell rang.

The first few classes went on as usual. Sakura played the role of a diligent student and kept a casual eye on Sasuke and of everyone in the classroom. By lunchtime, she went about sitting at her usual table with the intention of eating alone. Though, it would seem that Sasuke's role as her newly appointed guide or protector meant that he too would be joining her.

She must have looked surprised because he with a look of discomfort and embarrassment he reminded her about his father's instructions. So the two sat across from one another and began to eat their lunch. She would have thought it nice, having company, when Naruto suddenly made his appearance known. "Sakkkuuuuuuraaaaa!"

He exclaimed while hugging her from behind. Noticing her wince with the contact, Sasuke frowned. "Dobe, don't be so rough. She's hurt." Naruto let go of Sakura as if she was on fire, his hands comically within the air. "Hurt?" Sasuke sighed and explained Sakura's car accident.

Apparently their teacher had informed the class of her unfortunate incident. "What!? Car accident!" Naruto screamed loudly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "If you were at school these last few days, you would have known that." Naruto pouted while sitting down next to Sakura. "Ah come on, I was sick." "From what? Your stupidity?" Naruto's face burned red. "Hey!" he screamed louder than necessary, ready to remark his own insult when Kiba punched Naruto in the head. "Shut up, dude! I could hear your loud ass voice all the way down the hall." Naruto pouted. "Way to treat the sick," Naruto muttered teary-eyed. "You're sick in the head, that's what you are. Why are you so late to school?"

"My mom made me go to the doctor one last time before coming to school." Kiba shrugged. "Obviously whatever virus or sickness you had fled from your body once it realized that your bloodstream is filled with instant ramen." The blonde glared at Kiba. Though, Kiba paid no mind to him as he starred excitedly at his lunch.

"Hey Uchiha, Sakura." Kiba waved half-heartedly before taking a bite of his school bought meal. When suddenly, he did a double take of Sakura. Grabbing his tray of food and relocating from his seat beside Naruto, he sat next to her. Grabbing her gently by her shoulders, he inspected her from head to toe. "What happened to you?!"

Concern was overwhelming in his expression. Sakura was touched, but also slightly uncomfortable. "The bruises are from a car accident," Sasuke explained. Kiba was not in their class, so he wouldn't have been rebuffed with their teacher's explanation. "Are you alright?"

"Yea, mostly." "Dude, you're covered in bruises. Like, all over. Even your face. Why are you at school?" 'Cause I need to resume my bodyguard duties,' was what she wanted to say. Instead, she responded with, "I don't want to get further behind in school." Kiba rolled his eyes and began to resume stuffing his face with his food. "You're fucking weird."

He paused in mid bit and smiled at her, "But I'm glad you're mostly alright."

"Speaking of school, you can copy my notes for the days you missed." Sakura smiled and thanked him. Naruto stared between the two of them, and then a light ignited within his cerulean eyes as if he had just remembered something.

Oh, yea! Before I forget, Sasuke, why'd you and Sakura leave without saying goodbye the other night?" Without missing a beat Sasuke said, "Accidentally took a downer from some stupid kid playing drug dealer. Sakura helped me get back home." Naruto nodded in understanding. "Okay, that makes sense." Despite herself, Sakura felt her heart beat fast as Naruto turned to her. "You could have just told me that, Sakura."

"Father asked for her to not speak about it. You know how he is." "Yea, I do," Naruto said sympathetically. "How's the old fart?" Kiba asked with his mouth full. "Same. Secretive and distant." "And Itachi?" "He's been so busy with work on the Uchiha police force, I hardly see him." Sakura tried to keep her poker face. She didn't know that Itachi was active on the force.

While it was known that many Uchiha were on the task force, after all, it was named after them, for a clan heir to be an active role within such an establishment seemed...wasteful somehow. "Ne, do you think you'll join the force too, Sasuke?" "I'm not sure… I used to want to. But when I see how stressed my dad is, and how Itachi has become, I don't know if I want that lifestyle."

Sakura indulged in her own homemade betno as she listened to the boys at the table talk. It was interesting. At face value, you'd never assume that Sasuke was close to Kiba and Naruto. These loud mouth and rambunctious kids. But as stony-faced and seemingly isolated as Sasuke was, he obviously felt comfortable enough around them to confide to them his thoughts and ambitions.

She wondered, briefly, if Sasuke was considering her into a similar role? A role as a friend. Though, the guilt of her true involvement in his life made her reconsider the thought. She was his bodyguard. Not his friend.

It wasn't long till lunch trays and bentos were polished clean of food, and the bell rang indicating that it was time to head back to class. Naruto went to the bathroom and Kiba skipped ahead to get close to another group of teens that Sakura assumed were his classmates. Leaving her and Sasuke to walk back to class together.

"I never thanked you." "Mm?" "For getting me back home. It would have been bad if I made a scene at the party… So, thanks." Sakura shrugged. "No problem." "Though, I have one question."

"Yea?"

"How'd you know that my family's car was there?" Of course, Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't leave things at face value. Thinking quickly of a lie, she realized that maybe, just maybe, she could share a piece of truth within the lie that she was going to tell. "I called your house. Your brother told me your car was nearby. My mom gave me his information a few days prior."

This answer seemed to satisfy him. "Makes sense."

Entering their classroom, Sakura habitually went back to her own seat. She figured their conversation was done. Though, Sasuke stood beside her after she settled in at her desk. "Sakura, would you like to join me for coffee after school today?" She turned to him, shocked.

And dramatically so, the entire class, which was bustling with teenagers settling into their own seats only moments ago, became quiet. There was a pin drop silence.

"I can't. I-" "It's important." Sasuke urged. "I'm...sure." she gave in.

"Cool." And with his task complete, he walked away to his own seat. Slowly, sound returned to the class, the second bell rang, and class resumed with their teacher beginning their History lecture. But it fell onto deaf ears to Sakura. What did Sasuke want from her? Did he seek answers to more of his impossible questions? That was her first thought.

The rest of the day went by in a blur as she tried to decipher Sasuke's reasoning. Her intent was to be as prepared for whatever Sasuke was to do or say or ask as she possibly could.

Requesting permission to go to the bathroom, Sakura messaged Itachi of her dilemma with Sasuke. "He's asking questions again. We're apparently to meet at a cafe after school." He didn't respond right away, though, she wasn't necessarily expecting him to. Then texting Tsunade, she told her about her plans of spending time with a friend after school. "Don't push yourself," Tsunade warned immediately. "I won't."

Returning to class, she didn't necessarily feel any better. But at least she informed Itachi of what was going on. Hopefully, he'd give her some direction or advice before her ordeal with Sasuke.

As usual, Sakura and Sasuke were the first to leave class. Unexpectedly, however, Naruto followed them. Wrapping a friendly arm around each of them, he began to inquire Sasuke what his intentions were with Sakura. "None of your business," Sasuke said clearly.

Glancing between the two, Sakura regarded the teenage boys beside her. Sasuke seemed calm and at ease. Naruto, the other hand, had turned inexplicably red. "She has a boyfriend, you know?" "I know." "Then what are you doing?" "Asking her some questions. It's family related."

'Fuck, just what I feared,' she thought irritably to herself.

Naruto let go of Sasuke, though gently embraced Sakura, careful for her bruises. Sasuke paused and stared at the both of them. "What are you doing, Dobe?" "I don't trust you with her." "As if I care."

"You have a history." 'History?' Sakura wondered. "It's not like that." Naruto peered down at her, "Sakura." She stared back at him. His ears were burning red. "He seems innocent and harmless, but don't fall his charm. Okay? Seriously." "Stop giving her a weird impression of me," Sasuke stated impatiently. "I'm not." Sakura pulled herself free from his friendly though unnecessary grasp. "Thanks for your concern, Naruto, but it's alright."

"Call me if he does anything weird," He stated to her seriously. Sakura smiled, "I will." Though Naruto was just a kid in her book, he was kind. She could not deny that in a way, she was warming up to him. "Let's go, Sakura."

"Hai."

The two teenagers eventually made it to Sasuke's limo. There was one man in a dark tailored suit awaiting them in the back seat. Sakura wasn't sure if he was one of the same men that she had came across during Sasuke's 'incident'. Though, it didn't seem to matter since the guard hardly paid any mind to Sakura. Giving the driver directions to where Sasuke would like to go, they reached their destination to a small cafe that was slowly filling up. The guard stood a fair distance away, as requested of Sasuke, though still close enough to aid him if he were under serious threat.

As they waited for their coffees to be made, Sakura checked her phone. There was no message from Itachi waiting for her. She tried not to feel panicked or discouraged. Sitting at a table in the corner, as far away from the other patrons as they could, Sasuke began.

"Father won't give me any information or details about who you are or how you're connected to our family. So, get to talking." Sakura held the sides of her large white mug. Staring at the steam that emitted from her latte, she said slowly, "My mom met your dad with a case."

"Okay. And who the heck is your mom? Are we talking about your real parents? Or your foster mom?" The question wasn't harsh, but Sakura internally flinched. 'Real parents…'

"Tsunade is as a real a mom to me as the woman who birthed me." "Okay, well, I need clarification. What does your mom do?"

"She's a doctor." "A good one?" "Yes." "Did she tell you about the case they met under?" "No." "How is it that you knew me from the beginning, but I haven't heard about you till recently?" "I don't know. Ask your father." "I can't!" he hissed at her. "He won't tell me anything. He never tells me anything. That's why I have to ask you." "But I can't answer for your dad. I don't know anything." Most of what she said was true. She couldn't answer for Fugaku. His reasoning was beyond her. And even more so, it wasn't her place. She was ordered to be discreet and keep her distance when it came to Sasuke. Well, she already screwed that up, apparently. Otherwise, she wouldn't be here with Sasuke under this circumstance.

"You say that… But you're lying. I know you are." Sakura shrugged, keeping up her mask. "If that's your opinion..." "You act like I'm crazy. But I can see it. In your face. You didn't want me noticing you. You didn't want me to catch on that you were watching me. You didn't want to come here. You're not good at lying on the spot. Not like Itachi or Father or Mother. You're the reason why I realized something was happening."

"A few days before you started at my school, Father insisted I have a guard. He wouldn't tell me why. In fact, he ordered me not to question him. Then, you show up. Always watching me. Always around. I know there's a connection."

"Not everything is about you. Maybe my mom wanted me in a better school." "In your senior year of high school? After the school year already started? Come on, Sakura, you're going to have to lie better than that. I'm not stupid."

"Sakura?"

Sakura and Sasuke looked in the direction of the voice to see a dark haired and blue eyed boy close to their age. He was tall with broad shoulders and a concerned smile. He had dimples. Sakura couldn't help but think that he was gorgeous. "What are you doing here?" he asked. She wanted to say she knew him, but she didn't. But clearly, he recognized and knew her. Then a thought occurred to her, was this Itachi under a henge?

"I-I'm with a classmate." "I can see that." The boy regarded Sasuke with a smile that wasn't all that friendly. "Hi, I'm Reo Tanaka. Sakura's boyfriend." The sentence held the tone of an underlying threat. 'Definitely Itachi.'

Who knew he was such a good actor?

"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke said with narrowed eyes. "I thought you said you were going straight home after school?" "Reo" brushed pink hair from her eyes. "Is your head still hurting?" he asked while stooping down in front of her, blue eyes staring intently into her own. Sakura opened her mouth to say something, for nothing to come out. Somehow, Reo/Itachi's actions felt confusingly and overly intimate. Her heart began to beat fast with his contact and intense blue gaze. "We're having an important and private conversation, you need to leave us alone."

"I'm speaking to my girlfriend, Uchiha. Sakura is still recovering from her injuries from her accident. Be considerate." Sasuke glared daggers at Reo. "I wasn't expecting to run into you here. Does your mom know you're not at home?" "I'm fine. She knows." Without missing a beat, he drew up a chair from an empty nearby table and sat beside her, grabbed her hand, and stared at Sasuke.

"What do you think you're doing?" "Sitting beside my girlfriend." "We're having a private conversation." Sasuke reiterated through gritted teeth. She never thought she'd see Sasuke so disturbed.

"I'm going to be frank with you, Uchiha. I don't like your tone or your attitude. You seem arrogant and rude. Personally speaking, Sakura doesn't seem to be enjoying your 'talk'. If anything, she's probably still slightly incoherent from her accident." Sasuke seemed to mimic a fish, his mouth opening and closing stupidly. His face bright red. He seemed unable to give a witty response. Which only seemed to anger him more.

Sakura doubted anybody talked to him so rudely before except for Naruto. Itachi squeezed her hand tightly, enough to practically make her wince. Discreetly giving her a look, she suddenly understood. "Sasuke, I am feeling a bit faint. Can we raincheck this conversation?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he regarded her.

"So you're just going to leave?" "Honestly, I'm not feeling well." Sasuke sneered at her as he got to his feet. "Forget it. If you do know something Father probably told you to keep me out of whatever is happening. I'll find out in my own way."

Bringing himself to his feet he left the two of them, his coffee untouched. Once he was out of earshot, she turned to Reo. "Itachi?" she whispered. "In the flesh." He said in obvious boredom, letting go of her hand. "I am surprised you came." "You obviously needed help. And I told you that I would cooperate with your mission when you need it."

She wanted to point out that a heads up would have been nice. He didn't answer her text. But, she thought better of it. "Well...I appreciate it." "I'm assuming my foolish little brother drove you here. Would you like a ride back home?" "Yea, that would be great. Oh, but my bag is in the limo. Let me see if I can get it if he hasn't already left yet."

Before Itachi could respond she was chasing after Sasuke out of the cafe. He was only a foot away from the vehicle. "Hey, Sasuke. Wait! My bag!" He turned to her, ready to say something, maybe something crass by the look on his face.

Simultaneous to him responding, the driver closed the open door to the back seat.

And then the explosion happened.

The entire vehicle went into flames. Glass shattered. Sasuke flew into her, making her land harshly on her back.

Heat overwhelmed them, and Sasuke's dead body weight was crushing. If she was a civilian, she would have probably been overwhelmed. Thankfully, she wasn't. She was a trained ninja. She couldn't hear anything, her eardrums were possibly ruptured, and she felt uncoordinated, but she moved quickly. Pulling Sasuke closer to her still, she immediately stood upright and backed away from the burning vehicle. The rumbling of a groan could be felt within his chest and upon her person. His eyes were closed, but he was alive. Looking at where the driver had fallen, he wasn't so lucky. The bodyguard who was near Sasuke and Sakura moved to aid her with helping Sasuke.

He seemed just as uncoordinated as she was, but he was already on his phone seemingly screaming into the receiver. Itachi appeared, still under the guise of Reo. He screamed something at her, but she couldn't make out the words. Though, with him pulling on Sasuke, she soon understood his intent. Both she and the bodyguard let Sasuke go into his brother's arms.

Then, seamlessly, the bodyguard was down. It took Sakura a moment to understand what was happening. Looking at the man that had fallen, she realized that he was shot.

A perfectly round hole was in the front of his cranium, while brain matter and blood dressed the concrete behind his head. Sakura's eyes widened. Her first instinct was to run. But she knew that wouldn't do. Turning to Itachi, she knew he would guide her. But one glance in his direction and she met red eyes.

The Sharingan.

Black tomoes turning within the beautiful and deadly crimson of his eyes, she was immediately entranced. Her own emerald eyes fluttered, she felt her body's will diminish. First falling to her knees, then completely on her front, she couldn't help but wonder what Itachi was doing, casting a genjutsu onto her when they should be fleeing. After all, they were under attack!

Then a thought occurred to her. 'This is his doing. He coordinated this.' A darkness overwhelmed her as her last thought flitted in her mind, 'How could this possibly be?'

She never got the chance to ask.

 **Author comments:**

A bit of a cliffhanger cause I'm evil! Mwuahahahaha! Thanks again for checking out this new chapter! I'm glad to get the ball rolling on this series as far as action goes. From this point on you should expect for it to get wild. Till next time, my loves! xoxo


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Breaking news: An explosion has occurred downtown Konohagakure. It is reported that multiple are wounded and at least 2 have been announced deceased at the scene. It is alleged that there is speculation that the terrorist organization Akatsuki are responsible. Stay tuned for updates on this disturbing development."

Sakura knew that she was in an unfamiliar place. Slowly, she allowed for her senses to scope her surroundings. With closed eyes she regarded the following: She was laying on her side upon a hard cold surface with her hands bound behind her back. She was currently somewhere quiet and seemingly alone. She could not sense anyone within close proximity to her person, though she knew that this did not necessarily mean she was alone. Additionally, she disturbingly realized her chakra was not present within her system. It was completely drained. Which consequently meant that she felt weak and even further inhibited.

With hesitation, she reluctantly opened her eyes. She was expecting to be in some dark blood-stained basement. Instead, she realized she was discarded in someone's kitchen. Bright yellow tile, warm-toned cabinets, and drawn cherry print curtains made up her surroundings. Though, the light layer of dust on the grounds and visible surfaces indicated it had been neglected for some time.

"You're up." She jumped. She did not sense his approach by either sound or chakra. Itachi Uchiha stooped down to her level and regarded her with questionably warm eyes. She frowned. "How are you feeling?" 'Like I've just woken up after being knocked out by the Sharingan,' she thought to herself. Though she didn't respond aloud, he didn't deserve anything from her. Annoyingly to her, he didn't seem perturbed by her lack of response.

Though, as he began to walk away, she realized that she should perhaps start a conversation with him. After all, she had no idea what was happening. And too, there was the concern of Sasuke's whereabouts and physical wellbeing. As if reading her train of thought, Itachi said offhandedly while opening the fridge, "He's fine. If that's what's suddenly making you anxious." There was no question as to who Itachi was referring to. Though, he should know that there was more than one reason as to why she felt anxious.

"Why?" she asked. "Why what? The kidnapping? Your current situation? Why this specific house? Why the explosion? Please be more specific, Sakura." he chastised her while pouring himself orange juice in a tall glass. "Why are you doing this?" she asked through gritted teeth, despite herself. He sipped from his glass, then regarded her again. His eyes glaring red with the Sharingan.

She looked away, not wanting to experience the same sensation of the Sharingan a second time. "It was necessary." "For what?" "Well, for everything." "Stop talking in riddles." "In time, you'll understand. But Sasuke had to be taken out of the picture for what is about to happen."

"What do you mean?" "This is bigger than your little bodyguard mission. Truly, I had hoped you'd be unscathed in our plans. Though, I suppose, there will always be unsavory collateral within war and revolutions." 'Collateral?' Suddenly, Sakura realized that potentially, she was living her last moments.

But, if that was so, why was she simply bound? Why didn't Itachi just kill her outright when he had the chance? He could have done so from the very beginning. Instead, she was here. In some stranger's kitchen. And then, too, she wondered why he took her at all. Why not leave her at the cafe? "You haven't killed me yet," she whispered slowly, half thinking aloud, half speaking to him. "Yet." he agreed.

"Why not?" At first, he said nothing. He turned his eyes away from her. Then, finally, he spoke, "The order has not yet been made." "From who?" 'If he answers, maybe I can finally gain intel.'

"She asks too many questions, Uchiha." Again, she didn't sense a person's approach. She tensed as a giant of a man with blue tinted skin, strong arms, and a dangerous sword sheathed on his back stood next to Itachi. He too regarded her.

"Kisame." Itachi respectfully greeted. "It's been done. He has told us to make our move soon." "Understood." "Who are you two working for? What is this?" she asked. "This" meaning the house, their relationship, their reason for taking her and Sasuke… Among other things. Kisame smiled at her, razor-sharp pointed teeth were displayed for her horror. "What does it matter to you? You're going to die soon." She was not disturbed. Despite her current predicament, if there was a chance to gather intel... She would do it. If she managed to escape, it would be incredibly helpful to be able to recall something useful in tracking down Itachi and his giant blue friend.

"Humor a girl on death row, then." "Kid, you're interesting. Mm, maybe I can ask the big man if I can keep you to myself." "Kisame," Itachi warned, his voice calm yet cold. The blue man arched a brow. "Be respectful."

'Right,' she thought to herself sarcastically, 'be a gentleman and just tie a girl up on the floor. That sounds quiet respectful'. "As uptight as ever." Kisame finally said with a shrug. With one hand the blue-skinned man grabbed Sakura painfully by her arm, while both hands were still bound behind her, and effortlessly dragged her out of the kitchen and into the living room. Her eyes widened at her surroundings.

A once lovely sitting area was a current vision of nightmares. Cream carpets, white walls, and ivory and cream couches and armchairs were stained thoroughly with blood. Yet, not a body was in sight. Sakura felt her insides run cold.

He threw her on the soiled couch, to her dismay, and casually sat across from her on a mostly unblemished cream leather armchair. Itachi followed them out of the kitchen at a lethargic pace. He chose to stand rather than sit a short distance from both of them. "Well, before we off you, it's important that we attempt to gain any useful information that you've acquired while assigned to watch Sasuke Uchiha. So, get to talking."

Sakura felt the reality of the situation in her bones. "What are you talking about? I've only watched him in school. In no way was I ordered to gather intel." "While this may be true, you're a perceptive one, aren't you? Surely you've must have noticed something, having been in such close proximity to the runt for a somewhat extended period of time." Hands sweating, heart beating fast, one thing did come to mind. How perceptive he was. How spot on his instincts were. Even while not trained in the ninja art, he had potential. "Ah, there it is. You did notice something."

"I haven't." Kisame sighed. "It will be less painful for you if you're honest with me. We don't have a lot of time to torture you, you know?" Why were they so desperate? What could she have noticed that would be of use to them? And why were they so keen on knowing what she gathered from spending time with Sasuke rather than of her intel related to any other mission, or with her work with the Hokage? What was there to gain?

"I was hoping we could do this the easy way…" She watched as he revealed a kunai. Her eyes widened as he neared her with a menacing smile. Firmly grasping her by the jaw, he put the kunai to her face. Eyes black and beady, he stared intently at her. She could read him clearly, with him so close. He was silently begging her to give him a reason to hurt her.

"Kisame." He turned his head in the direction of Itachi. "Put her down. I'll handle this." Kisame rolled his eyes. "You're always like this. Women and children. You can never just let me do my job without bias." "There's no need to make this messy." "Have you looked at the living room? A little more blood won't hurt."

Sharingan activated, Kisame reluctantly let her go. "Fine, whatever. Do what you want."

Itachi grabbed her gently by her collar and sat her upright on the couch. Grasping her chin, he forced her to face him. Instinctively she closed her eyes. "You can either answer our questions or I can extract them by force." "I have nothing to share." "It's useless to lie. Especially when you do it so poorly."

His hand moved from her face and to her throat. Slowly, he began to strangle her. She was lasting well enough, but eventually, she could not sit still. She began to thrash awkwardly. "Open your eyes." He told her, his voice silky and sweet. It was the voice of the reaper, she thought to herself, her head feeling light and painful.

Mouth opened wide, her body desperately searched for air. "Give in to me." The charming and seductive voice of a shinigami*.

She did as she was asked. Reluctantly she stared into the eyes of the devil.

And crimson consumed her.

If you asked Sakura what Itachi did to her, she would say she didn't know. One moment she was looking into his eyes, and then the next she was tiredly leaning on the blood painted couch. Her body exhausted, her mind feeling hollow and empty. Blinking, she starred in the direction of Itachi. The Sharingan was no longer activated. He simply stared at her. A minor apologetic gleam glimmered upon his artistic features.

It confused her.

Why were his actions and his expressions continuously contradicting themselves? He was the villain, yet he seemed to be burdened with what he was doing… "Alright, we got what we want. Now it's my turn. Remember, Uchiha, no loose ends." Kisame said as he neared her. Sakura had no strength to react, to even feel fear. Whatever energy she initially had was long gone. The second use of the Sharingan took it from her.

She watched as Kisame walked to her, a sword that rivaled the sum of her form unsheathed when he was arm's length away. "Is this necessary?" Itachi asked. "It's the order." "In such a crude manner," he said, disgust clearly vivid in his voice. "Careful, pretty boy."

It was akin to an out of body experience, watching the two mildly argue and debate the best way to kill her. She wondered if she was absolutely exhausted, or if she was at peace with what was to come, to feel so detached for what was about to happen. She lived a good life, didn't she? Still, this was a bit sooner than she thought she'd go. But…

Her thought went unfinished. The front door flew off its hinges and landed on the floor. Sakura weakly looked at the entrance to see a green spandex dressed Gai with a team of over a dozen ninja behind him. "Fuck." Kisame hissed irritably.

With a battle cry, Kisame and Gai began one on one combat. Simultaneously, the other ninja broke up into two teams to search through the house. And in between the parted group was none other than Fugaku Uchiha. His face was stony as he regarded Itachi.

Itachi seemed unfazed. "Son." Fugaku greeted the younger male. "Father." Itachi respectfully responded. "Where is Sasuke?" "Safe." "You took him." "I did." "You killed members of the Uchiha staff and kidnapped Sakura." "Yes." "And you're working with the Akatsuki."

'Akatsuki? The terrorist organization?' Sakura didn't understand how that could be. Though, considering her circumstance, she couldn't say she was surprised. Itachi was right, this mission was far bigger than she could have anticipated. Itachi did not respond to his father, he simply stood beside her.

Fugaku's Sharingan activated. At that moment, Sakura was aware of a very startling fact. While weak and with the very obvious possibility of salvation from this terrible predicament, Itachi was in arm's reach. Breaking down the scenario in her tired mind she knew that Itachi was a genius. Could he take on his father? Absolutely. However, he didn't know if reinforcements were on their way.

And based on the choice of location, he wasn't looking to make a scene, to have a prolonged fight. He meant for everything to be inconspicuous. So, what does one do? The obvious answer would be to retreat. Though, how does one retreat when they have an opponent that quite likely will not allow for such to happen?

Well, they create a scenario that forces their opponent's hand in the matter. This can happen through multiple means. One, Itachi can have reinforcements on his end that will allow for his retreat. Two, he takes a hostage. Because while he could very well retreat on his own, there was no doubt on her mind that Fugaku would pursue him. While Sakura had no delusion to think of herself as having any importance in this grand scheme that Itachi was a part of, she could not deny that perhaps she had just enough value to permit his escape as a hostage.

Even while exhausted, her heart rate escalated. Tearfully, she felt Itachi's eyes on her. Hands roughly grabbed hold of her. "Itachi, don't!" "Father, you will not follow me. Otherwise, the head of the daughter of the great Slug sannin will be on the Uchiha manor's doorstep by the next rising sun." Crows cawed, erupting from his person, shadowing them, swallowing their bodies whole. And suddenly, they were no longer in the living room. Sakura did not know where they were. She was limp in his arms, her face pressed against his chest. His heart eerily calm.

The crows dispersed, and the light of day enveloped them. 'We're outside…' she thought to herself lucidly. Tall trees, the scent of nature, the quiet hush of the woods… Itachi hoisted her in his arms and carried her bridal style. Based on his tread, she knew they were not on a path.

Eyes locking, Sharingan still activated, he said, "I apologize, Haruno, for all of this."

He was lying. He had to be. Itachi kidnapped her in the first place. Twice now! If Fugaku did not intervene, he would have allowed Kisame to kill her or he would have killed her himself. He was not sorry for her inconvenience or for her misery. No, he was only sorry he got caught. That he had to carry her. But she had no will, no energy, no ability to say as much.

Even worse, she could feel her eyes flutter close. Her fatigue was winning out despite her desire to stay awake. She could not sleep, not now of all times. 'Stay. AWAKE!' she willed. Though with her chakra depleted, and with the after-effects of being under the Sharingan's influence a few times in such a short amount of time… She fell victim to her exhaustion.

Blinking, her first thought was that she was cold. Freezing, in fact. Shivering, she looked around. Weakly, she remembered where she was. Or maybe, as a better term, where she wasn't. She wasn't home. Wasn't in the city. She wasn't among friend. Instead, she was among foe. Or so she should be.

Sitting upright, the darkness cloaked her. It was so thick she could not see her hands in front of her face. Then it dawned on her, she was no longer bound! 'A moonless night,' how fitting she mentally construed as she stared upward at the sky. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself. Despite it being late September, it was terribly frigid. She internally searched for her chakra. Thankfully, a bit had returned. Though, not much. If she was lucky, with her perfect chakra control, she could maybe do a genin level jutsu or two.

Though, more pressing than her chakra, she had to wonder, where was Itachi?

"Hello?" she called out hesitantly.

Scoping the area around her, she could not sense him. However, that could be because he was masking his chakra. He could very well be watching her.

Well, she wasn't going to let that stop her. While her legs were still a bit shaky, she slowly began to venture away from where she initially woke up from. If he was watching her, then he would probably try to stop her. But, she wasn't going to just sit there and contemplate as much. She had to get away. Because what if he had abandoned her? What if he got far enough away to make his proper escape? That was just as likely a possibility.

Calloused hands gripped onto rough tree bark as she carefully maneuvered through the woods in her dress shoes. Still, in her school's uniform, plaid yellow skirt and white button down, she was ill prepared for the elements. But, she wasn't a ninja just in namesake. As time passed, no person stepped from the shadows to prohibit her wandering. And as the night progressed, the stars suddenly shone through the once cloudy sky. If nothing else, this was a blessing. Now she could navigate the correct direction back to headquarters.

Dusk erupted in a bloom of warm honeyed colors. As the sun shone and kissed the treetops and land, Sakura tiredly met concrete with confident muddied shoes. Red eyes regarded the sky, a sight she wasn't sure if she'd see again just the day before. A chapped lipped smile spread upon her face.

She was not familiar with this area, though she knew, at least, she was headed in the right direction. It was an isolated road, still surrounded with trees and brush. Though, she was not disheartened. She walked in stride. "Home. I will get home." "Sakura…" She stilled, her heart palpitated.

Hesitantly, she turned to see Itachi behind her. His expression unreadable. "No." He wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't important enough to track down. To bother with. She was a tool to gain information, a means for an escape. Why now? Why show up now? To give her false hope? To finally kill her?

Crimson bled through his dark eyes. She looked down at the ground. "I won't hinder your 'escape'. Just know this. Not everything is as it seems." "I already know you're a traitor." "If that's what you believe." "It's what I know!" She didn't hear him move, have time to react, suddenly he was there, his hand gripping her chin, forcing her to turn to him. She moved to close her eyes, but it was too late. It only took a second. His eyes burned into hers.

"Regardless if you want to believe or not, of what your logic is telling you, you're wrong. Be smart, Haruno. If not, you, Sasuke, and Uzumaki will pay the price. Whether you like it or not, you're a part of this now." The depths of his eyes consumed her, and then he stepped away. She landed weakly on her knees. Just as before, his body erupted in a symphony of crows. The terrible sound surrounded her as they flocked about. Then, they directed their attention to her. Flying, pecking, and attacking. She screamed. One crow, in particular, pecked through her lips and fully went into her mouth until it was consumed.

Sakura was horrified, feeling its feathers slide down her throat. She scratched at her skin, moved to make herself gag the bird back up. But then, the world was quiet.

And she was in the woods again. The sky was a dark shapeless empty void. The clouds hid the stars from her. Sitting upright, she looked around. It was cold. A horrible thought occurred to her that she was under genjutsu this whole time. She never made a single step away from the place that Itachi left her. He was playing cruel games with her.

Terror and confusion consumed her. Was he trying to drive her mad? Was she his side project to torture? She stood upright. She would not let him make her crazy. She refused! Running in the direction that she had before (in her dream, the illusion, her hallucination?) she didn't bother waiting for the stars to shine to guide her. She didn't care. She just had to get away. Rationality was beyond her.

Her body was weak and tired from the abuse it had recently gone under. She pushed through it. She would survive! Tsunade was counting on her to come home! Asuka Yasu still needed her justice! She still had so much to live for! To experience. Itachi would not determine the outcome of her story!

She tripped on an upturned root. Landing face first in the dirt, she didn't hesitate to get back up. If this was another illusion, so be it! She will run away a hundred times! A thousand! Let him see her will of Fire!

Unlike the illusion she experienced last, she escaped the woods quickly. And also unlike the last illusion, instead of an empty road, she was now upon a small cliff. The shining outline of the city was before her in all its grandiosity. She sighed in relief. Screw Itachi and his mind games.

Scaling the cliff, Sakura eventually made it to the outskirts of the city. Despite her earlier elation and triumph of making it out of the woods, she was exhausted and walked with shaky legs and a dead gaze. "Stop where you're standing." Sakura did as she was told, though relaxed having recognized the voice. "Kakashi?" "Haruno, if that's truly you, answer me this, Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.* What am I?" "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?"

She turned around to face her Superior. "It is you, then." "Yes." "I certainly care to hear about your escape, but for now. Let's retreat back to headquarters. Fugaku gave me the rundown of your condition before Itachi took you again." "Were you looking for me?" "Discreetly. Itachi is not typically someone who bluffs. We had to make sure he wouldn't hurt you."

He grabbed her arm and placed it around his neck. "My vehicle is a short distance away. Be patient, I'll get you back to headquarters safe. Tsunade is waiting for you." Later, Sakura will muse how out of character it was for Kakashi to not be at headquarters and to instead be a part of whatever fabricated search party he was working with. How strange it was that he was alone and without backup. But at that moment, she was too tired to contemplate reason. To care. That is, until Kakashi suddenly flung forward, bringing her down with him. Awkwardly turning to her side, Sakura looked at her Superior. She meant to ask what happened, why he had fallen out of nowhere. To instead see that his head was missing. Blood coated the grass and concrete. And again, she blinked; shock coursing through her. And again, she was back in the woods.

It was dark. A starless, empty void of a sky and a vast woodland surrounded her...

She screamed.

An exhaustion she could hardly comprehend weighted her bones, accompanied by a desperation so strong that she could not move. "Enough!" she demanded. "Enough!" she pleaded, fingers digging past dead leaves and into soft wet Earth. She rushed to her feet and concentrated. Maybe she was trapped in this genjutsu forever… And maybe she was low on Chakra. But she wasn't going to give in. Extending her index and middle finger on her hand, she concentrated. "KAI!"

Nothing happened.

"KAI!"*

Again, nothing happened. Enraged, she screamed. Her throat felt hoarse. But what else was she to do? In this mad, mad world she was stuck in.

Sakura was losing it. She could not discern how much time had actually passed. But it felt like days, weeks. The same thing, over and over. Different horrors awaiting for her if she ventured past the woods. And if she stayed within the cloak of nature, wolves descended upon her person and feasted upon her flesh despite her desperate efforts to evade them.

He was toying her. He wanted her to make a choice. Stay in the woods and die. Or leave the woods and have someone else take her place, or be maimed.

To die, then awake in darkness. To live, to only be tormented by Itachi or see someone close to her perish. It wasn't much of a choice.

Sakura laughed aloud. Was this it? Would she ever be free? Here again, this dark wooded place. This lonely and wretched hell. Arms outstretched, she embraced the darkness. "Do your worst. You won't break me."

It was like a whisper against her mind, but she felt it. His presence.

"I will be back for you."

And then her world was filled with white static. She closed her eyes, covered her ears, to suddenly be in a world of soft commotion.

A bird circling above her in a bright sky. A soft mist covered her skin and clothes. The woods was warmer than in her last nightmare. Her body ached, but she forced herself to sit upright. Unlike before, she could fully tell that she was free.

She tried to stand to no avail. And so, she crawled through the foliage of the woods. Knees hurt, calloused hands eventually bleeding, she did not stop. And then, a person appeared. She did not need an introduction to know he was an Uchiha. The beautiful aristricat features and dark hair and eyes were enough.

"Haruno." He bowed, then stooped in front of her. "Where is Itachi?" "I don't know," she said, her voice hoarse, sounding as if she had been screaming for hours. She felt like she had. But was it her dream? Or her reality? She could not answer with certainty.

"You have been missing for fourteen hours. I have been advised to take you to the Uchiha manor. Tsunade and Fugaku are waiting for you." She nodded tiredly. He moved to help her, she did not stop him. For the second time (in who knew how many hours) she was carried bridal style through the woods.

"What is your name?" she asked after some time had passed.

"Shisui. Shisui Uchiha."

 **Terms used in the fanfiction:**

 **Shinigami: "** Shinigami are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans towards death. They are also interpreted to be present in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters and helpers, creatures of darkness, and fallen angels."

 **Genin** **:** Beginner level ninja. Genin jutsu are jutsu that require low levels of chakra and effort for more seasoned ninja.

" **...** **Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet. What am I?" "** **What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?":** A riddle from the bible. It's known as the Samson riddle.

" **KAI!"*:** Sakura was attempting to break out of the genjutsu through force (even with knowing she very well might not be able to)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Situated within a wheelchair, Sakura ignored her stinging hands and knees, her aching body, her broken mind, her agony. She needed truth more than anything. She craved information.

Much to Tsunade's disapproval, Sakura refused medical attention till she spoke with Fugaku. For the sake of her sanity, she needed to know what all had happened since her kidnapping.

Tsunade wheeled Sakura to her destination. Upon entering Fugaku's study, the pink haired girl felt a wave of shock to see Neji sitting in a chair before the Uchiha head's grand desk. Both males nodded to the her with acknowledgment, though said nothing while her mother was present. Waiting for Tsunade to take her leave, Fugaku motioned for Neji to close the door after her.

Eyeglasses pulled from his face and folded onto his wooden desk, Fugaku regarded her, "Before I begin my questioning I will catch you up to speed on the situation, as per request. Within the house you were held captive, we recovered Sasuke. However, despite our best efforts we were unable to subdue Itachi's 'partner'. Unfortunately, he evaded capture. From what we have gathered at the house that we found you and Sasuke in, it was meant to be a temporary base. From our understanding, it was where they tortured their victims, as I am sure you can confirm." Sakura nodded. "We recovered fourteen bodies. All of whom vary in backgrounds except in one factor." "Yes?" Sakura urged.

"They were all politicians. Safe for a secretary that is speculated to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, they were all individuals that were suspected to be corrupt within office."

"What does this mean?" "It would have been troublesome from the beginning. However, none of said politicians have been reported missing. In fact, until the last twenty four hours, they have been active in their roles as representatives. Only after we infiltrated the house and recovered Sasuke did they all suddenly 'vanish' from society. Meaning, the Akatsuki have been using their own with henges to deceive us and run their own agenda within high office."

Neji stepped in, "I am sure you remember our friend Hideki Saburo?" "Yes." "He was found hung in his prison cell the hour Sasuke Uchiha was recovered. The police suspect suicide. We, on the other hand, believe it to be foul play." "And how do you figure?" Sakura asked.

"Timing. That, and I researched that note that you found within Hideki's office. 'Tailed Beast'." "Yes." Sakura urged. "It is a coded term that superiors within the Akatsuki organization use . Unfortunately, we aren't currently sure of the context. However, getting back to Saburo, we believe that he was either a mark for the Akatsuki or somehow linked to the organization. At the moment, the timing and urgency of his demise is something we're still trying to decipher."

" _No loose ends."_ Kisame's voice echoed in her head. Hugging herself, she shivered. Self-consciously she regarded Neji and Fugaku. Neither of the males within her company chose to acknowledge the odd action if they noticed. For this she was grateful. She forced herself to ignore the cold sensation that plagued her.

"Agent Sakura Haruno, what is your take on all of this?"

Sakura sat with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well...I can't speak of a foreseeable link between my missions with Sasuke or Asuka Yasu, per se. But I do have information to offer. The man that is considered Itachi's partner goes by the name of Kisame." Neji pulled out his notebook and began to write down everything she was saying. "Also, Itachi said that Sasuke is a part of something bigger than I imagined. As you can guess, they tried to gather information from me. But what they asked was if there was anything that I 'noticed' about Sasuke Uchiha. Itachi was so desperate for my input on the matter that he used the Sharingan on me."

This information seemed to trouble Fugaku. "Do you remember what he saw within your mind." "No. I just remember being tired. Then seeing you, sir. And finally the forest. But… he used some strange genjutsu that seemed to never end."

Fugaku froze. "Genjutsu?" "Hai." "Sakura, do you remember if Itachi's sharingan looked….peculiar?" Thinking back, past her fear of his crimson eyes...she had to admit, they _did_ look different than what she was familiar with seeing when it came to the typical sharingan.

Her expression apparently said enough. "This is most troublesome." Fugaku stated, his fingers entwined before him, elbows resting upon his desk, hands leveled to his face. "Sakura, your efforts have been most appreciated. But I think it is fair to say that this case is beyond your level of expertise. Now that we know it is Itachi who has targeted Sasuke, I can no longer consciously have you as his bodyguard."

"What!?" "Do not worry. It will not look poorly on your official record. You have done well for having to compete against Itachi and the Akatsuki. However, this is my son I have to worry about. And believe me when I say that he is in grave danger. As of now, Shisui will be Sasuke's bodyguard. If you think of anything else pertaining to your experience with Itachi that you believe would be helpful, please do call."

Tsunade and Sakura quietly commuted to the Konohagakure hospital. Despite Sakura insisting that she was fine, Tsunade wouldn't hear of it. Her reasoning being, as they stepped into her modest car after existing the grand Uchiha manor , "You just spent a day's worth of time with psychopath terrorists and went under intense genjutsu and who knows what else from Itachi Uchiha's sharingan." Needless to say, Sakura stopped fighting her on the topic.

After a series of tests that garnered results that were more or less normal, they eventually made it home. Neji was there waiting for them when they arrived. "It's more than fair that Sakura at least has the rest of the day off." "This is important. I need to speak to Haruno in private." "Right." Tsunade said with a snort and a hand on her hip.

Neji showed that he had no intention of leaving. His opalite eyes simply continued to stare. The blonde woman threw her hands in the air with a cluck of her tongue. "Fine. Do what you want. But no field work! Strictly conversational and strategic. If I find out that either of you sneak out of this house, I will break your legs and refuse to heal them for a month. _Got it_?!"

Sakura nodded. Neji didn't respond. Though Sakura knew that Tsunade already viewed all agents and ninjas that belonged to large clans as having a stick up their deriar. So Sakura was sure that Tsunade didn't exactly take his lack of response to heart.

Sakura offered to talk in the kitchen. Neji insisted on speaking within her bedroom. He emphasized the importance of privacy and closed doors. Reluctantly, she obliged to his suggestion of discussing work within her personal quarters. Currently, the two ninjas are sitting in her room. She sits on the edge of her bed and shifts uncomfortably.

Having Neji, a highly regarded ninja that she consistently works with, sitting within her room while surrounded by her girly bedroom decor made her feel a bit mortified. Though, this wasn't the time to be feeling such useless emotions such as embarrassment.

"I am assuming since you were allowed to leave the hospital that you are fine." "More or less." Sakura agreed, pushing her insignificant insecurities to the wayside. "Well then, I'll jump straight into it. I want for you to give me a full play by play of everything that happened from the night you got into the car accident to the moment Shisui found you." "That's days of information." "I don't care. As you're well aware, anything could be helpful. Even something determined to be insignificant."

Taking a deep breath, Sakura obliged. She told him of the coffee interview with Daisuke Kobayashi, of the car accident that same evening, of Itachi visiting her that night, of school, of Sasuke demanding to talk to her, of the explosion, the kidnapping, the intrusion of her mind, of the awful genjutsu. She left nothing out. She did not hesitate. She spoke of the wolves that would eat her, of Kakashi being decapitated, of people close to her being massacred, of Itachi stabbing her over and over again.

And Neji wrote it all down.

Hours had passed till he finally closed his notebook. "Thank you for sharing your experiences with me," he said with a slight bow. "It's nothing." "Now that you've gone over everything you know and have experienced, I have been ordered to tell you that you're also off the Asuka Yasu case." "What!?" Sakura asked flabbergasted. "Calm down. Officially I am to report to you that the Uchiha are taking over that case. However, off the books, Kakashi wants us to continue our work." Sakura settled in her seat a little after that, her heart still beating furiously in her chest.

"There are some questions I have for you, then I will tell you what I have come across pertaining to the Asuka case, and what Fugaku felt unnecessary to tell you concerning Itachi." "Alright." she said, her hands sweating in anticipation.

He opened his mouth to not utter a single word.

One second he was gearing up to talk to her, and the next he is standing with an exposed palm before him. There is a whoosh of wind and there is a bout of bullets at his feet. Immediately Sakura got to her own feet. Hearing the commotion, Tsunade ran into her room and opened her door.

Sakura's world was filled with white: an explosion erupted just behind Tsunade within their hall the moment she stepped into her small room.

A home is an interesting concept. You have this space that's yours. You compile items that you have gathered throughout the years, a lifetime. And you think it'll be with you for forever. The idea that it could ever disappear is beyond comprehension. It's just not supposed to happen.

But now? Now Sakura realizes how foolish of a thought that is. Even if it's simply within our subconscious: everything has the potential to shift, to lose its existence, to collapse.

She's on her back, her ears are ringing, and she is covered in the debri of her childhood home. She groans, the roof of her house is on her.

"Sakura!"

It's Tsunade's voice that ignites her. Her chakra still isn't fully back yet, but she has enough to…

Sakura stands, part of the roof is within her hands and above her head. She tosses the entirety of her bedroom's ceiling off of her, thoroughly pissed. "I can't get a fucking break, can I!?" Neji is suddenly beside her, "We need to get to headquarters." he states calmly, despite their confusing and agitating situation.

"Why?" It's then that Sakura sees his long hair is tucked behind his right ear. He had his ear piece in that connected him to Intelligence this entire time.

"The entire country is under attack." He states simply, as if this information is of the same mundane factual caliber as the sky being blue. "What!?" Then he spins her behind him and his hands are before him. Again, a bullet drops pathetically to his feet. "We have company." Tsunade states while cracking her neck and dusting her now tarnished and singed clothes from dust and debri.

"We don't have time for this." "But I do." Tsunade says through gritted teeth. The blonde cracks her knuckles this time. "These bastards have the audacity to destroy my house!? AFTER I JUST PAID OFF THE MORTGAGE?!"

Neji grabs Sakura roughly to the side, "If you think they're worth the hassle, we'll head to headquarters. I assume you will follow us once you are done here?" "You bet your ass, kid."

"TenTen has advised me that several agents have reported that their cars are wired with explosions. We're going to have to run back to headquarters on foot." "Fine with me."

"You two be safe," Tsunade states offhandedly.

A puppet suddenly attacks Tsunade head on. Her fist meets wood and splinters the creature entirely. Sakura casts one last look at Tsunade. Her mother has a mischievous and determined gleam in her eyes. With a silent prayer of luck and triumphant in their favor, the pink haired girl turns and follows Neji through the chaos of their city.

Their world is on fire. Explosions are erupting all around them. People are screaming, smoke is in the air.

"I'll try to tell you what's important as quickly as possible while we head back to headquarters." Neji says, not out of breath despite their speed. "It is speculated that Itachi has been working with the Akatsuki for some time. Fugaku reported that multiple important Uchiha documents had been stolen within the last few days. Such documents were only accessible to Fugaku himself, the heir (Itachi), and to their elders." "What were the documents?" "Fugaku refused to go into detail with me, which I understand. Clans are extremely guarded when it comes to their family documents. This is heightened even more so if such documents discusses their clan blood-limits and abilities. As you can imagine with the history and strained relationship between my clan, the Hyuga, and Uchiha, Fugaku was less than interested to relay what these documents were. Though, I speculate it has to do with the Sharingan. Itachi disappeared the following day after your accident. Reasonably so, we believe he is responsible."

Their pace is suddenly halted.

Neji comes to a complete stop and presses a hand to his earpiece. Sakura nearly trips following his lead, a look of inquisition is on her face.

The brunette directs his attention east of where they were heading. "We're changing our course. Kakashi is ordering us to head straight to the Uchiha manor." "Why?"

"Itachi has come back."

"And?" Her voice is practically a whisper.

"And he's killing everyone."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Black flames that consume. Water will not satisfy or sedate it. It just burns and burns and burns. And those eyes. Burning through you. Red, blaring, evil."

Sasuke is hugging himself, he stares ahead like a madman. Rocking back and forth.

"Just burns and burns." He mutters under his breath.

"Burns…"

Back and forth.

"And burns…"

Sakura knows not if she should hug him or keep her distance. But she knows her expression of pity does nothing to aid his anguish. "Thank you," Kakashi says as he motions for ANBU* ninja to take Sasuke away. Where to? She's not sure. Somewhere safe within headquarters, she guesses. Somewhere, hopefully, he'll feel a bit more at ease.

Neji and Sakura made it to the Uchiha Manor in record time. Yet, even at their blindingly fast pace, Itachi had already done his work. Security, ninja, and family were massacred. All that was left was Sasuke, who was in a maddening trance. And Fugaku Uchiha, who was on the floor at Sasuke's feet, and was holding onto life by a bare thread. Itachi was nowhere to be found.

While not familiar with the black flames that consumed the Uchiha manor, both ninjas knew not to touch it. Their brief orders were to retrieve survivors and bring them back to headquarters. Not to investigate the situation.

Sakura, equipped with her perfect chakra and medical ninjutsu know-how, promptly healed the Uchiha head till he was stable. While the job wasn't perfect, it sufficed considering their circumstance.

Once healed well enough to transport, Neji hoisted Fugaku in his arms and Sakura grabbed hold of Sasuke. Retreating, again at record speed, to headquarters, Sakura felt exhausted. It had been less than twenty-four hours since she was "rescued" from the forest.

Her chakra wasn't even close to being at full capacity when she healed Fugaku. Carrying Sasuke Uchiha ten miles back to headquarters, dodging bombs and debris, chaos, people, collateral, it was hard for her to remain standing on her feet. Discreetly, Neji handed her a soldier pill once they were escorted to Kakashi's office with Sasuke in tow. It was the only thing that kept her upright.

Fugaku was retrieved from Neji's arms and was taken to, Sakura assumed, to the headquarters' clinic. Staring at the two young ninjas before him, Kakashi sighed. "Go down to the main lobby. I am going to collectively speak to those who have made it back to headquarters. Good job on retrieving the surviving Uchiha."

'Surviving Uchiha', Sakura thought. It was strange to think of a family that had lineage for as far back as the creation of this country was nearly completely gone. And it was all done by a fellow clan's member. Sakura discreetly shuddered. She never understood the family dynamics of the Elite clans within Konohagakure, or, well, anywhere. How could someone find it in them to massacre their entire family? And even more so, why didn't Itachi finish what he started and kill Sasuke? Was it guilt? Love?

Or was there something more?

"Sakura," Kakashi called out. She blinked. Neji and Kakashi were both staring at her. "Oh, um sorry." Kakashi did not acknowledge her apology. Instead, he repeated his earlier orders.

"Hai." the two responded in unison.

"As you're well aware," Kakashi began, his exposed face from his mask serious and concerned, "We are under attack. As a response to this misfortunate circumstance, we will be breaking up all present ninja into three groups. One strategic: How do we minimize damage, aid civilians, and save those in need? A few of you on this team will also be aiding ninjas who are on the field. Another team will be offense: Takedown however many terrorists you can and locate and secure our leaders. And finally, defense: Medical ninja, or anyone with first aid help, you will heal the injured and assist in whatever way you can. Understood?"

His voice was stern and direct. But beneath it all, there was a hint of anger. The room, which was filled with at least 70 ninja and medical staff, stated with an obedient and energy driven, "HAI!"

"Good." Kakashi nodded.

"Because of the level of destruction done to our city and country, we will first do what we can within our surrounding area and expand our vicinity. There will be field ninja who will be a mixture of offense, and of offense and defense. A few of you will be ordered to rescue key political figures and bring them back here if they're still alive. The others will begin taking on the enemy. At this point, we're not interested in prisoners. Take down as many as you can. Now then, let's begin with our squads."

Sakura unsurprisingly was paired with Neji. And he was to be the leader within their two-man squad. Tenten was assigned as their strategizer. They were told to retrieve the mayor, the first lady, and their son. Priority Alpha. Orders were the following: No matter what, do not stop. Do not aid civilians. And if possible, do not engage with the enemy. Retrieve your target, then retreat back to base.

Sakura could not fathom what Neji was thinking as they existed headquarters. His facade was as cool and composed as usual. She, on the other hand, knew she was running low on chakra, energy, mental composure, and physical strength. She was on the edge. But what did that matter? She was a ninja, she was given a task, she was a tool, she must be weld where she was useful. And right now, for the first time in her career, she was given the task to retrieve and protect a friend and his family.

Eating another soldier pill, she wondered what Naruto thinking. Was he alright? She couldn't imagine him dead. His father and vibrant mother gone…

"Come on," Sakura said, her eyes narrowed, her lips in a tight thin line. She could feel her body protest as she pushed herself to keep up with Neji's maddening pace, could feel her muscles demand to rest. She ignored it. Scaling destroyed buildings that blocked roads, ignoring the bloody bodies on the street, forcing herself to look past the hurt, the desperate, avoiding the enemy, they eventually made it to the Uzumakis. Their house was tarnished. And beginning to eat away at the grand mansion's roof, was a black fire.

"He's here." Neji said, not needing to emphasize who "he" was.

Itachi.

"If necessary, I will engage him. You retrieve the Uzumaki's. If worse comes to worst, leave me and get them to safety. Understood?" Sakura wanted to say no, she didn't understand. She wanted to point out that Neji had no idea who he was dealing with. But decided better of it. He was her superior. She wasn't raised to question authority.

They had a plan.

But strategy and execution are two very different things. Out of nowhere, a sword was unsheathed. It was Neji quick reflexes that protected him from decapitation. Kisame's sword flung backward when it hit Neji's defense, his 360° palm technique* . But Kisame's stance was strong. He barely flinched. Neji retreated slightly back. "Well, well. See you're still alive, Pinky. Rather curious that Itachi didn't kill you."

"Request backup, **NOW** ," Neji ordered, his voice rising as he moved forward to engage Kisame. Sakura did as she was told. Despite TenTen's steady voice, she could hear the worry in it as she said, "Might Gai will be there in approximately ten minutes. Sakura, it is determined that you should not encounter the Uzumaki household. If Itachi Uchiha is present, do not engage. I repeat, do not enga-" The line went dead. "TenTen?" Sakura asked, hand pressing tightly to her earpiece. "TENTEN?" Sakura screamed.

There was no response.

Neji persisted alternating from offense and defense with Kisame and his sword. Yet even with his 360° palm technique, it was obvious that he would need more in order to take on Kisame. Few battles have ever been won from mostly pursuing a fight with defense.

A crater began to form where Neji stood as Kisame began to strike Neji time and time again.

Kisame had monstrous strength, agility, and inhumane like reflexes. He was seemingly the whole package when it came to being the perfect killing machine.

The blue-skinned man laughed, or more like cackled, in the hot and stifling air. The heat from the numerous fires that had started within the neighborhood and city made it unseasonably warm.

Sakura wondered if this was what hell was like? She wanted to help but wasn't sure what to do. Tenten had told them not to engage Itachi, and he was most certainly in the house. But what of Kisame? Might Gai was on his way. But...should they retreat for the time being? Or keep Kisame busy till Gai arrived. And what happened to their connection? Was Tenten alright? Was Naruto...still alive?

"So I can't seem to hit you," Kisame stated with intrigue to Neji, pulling Sakura from her worried thoughts. "My sword can't infiltrate your defenses, and it holds up to the test of my strength. But I wonder, kid if you can handle this-" He sheathed his sword and does a series of hand signs. Water consequently emerges from his person. And suddenly, Neji is consumed in a sphere of water. No palm technique can get him out.

"Neji!" Sakura breathes in a panic. Beady eyes regard her.

"Don't worry, sweet pea, I'll get to you next. Let's just wait till he drowns first."

Sakura focused chakra into her hands and gripped them into fists. Kisame was in a whole league above her. There was no denying that much. And while she did have some strength, some power, some skill-she was on limited chakra. Which put her in even more of a disadvantage.

Though, Sakura wasn't stupid. She was familiar with Kisame's jutsu. While she never practiced it herself, the water prison jutsu required two things: concentration, constant and perfect chakra flow, and limited movement.

Well, let's say if Kisame would be startled: that would disrupt his concentration. Meaning, Neji would be free.

"SHANNARO!"

Small fists meet once pristine lawn and disrupts it into jagged and sharp-angled Earth up to Kisame. The entire area around them rumbles. Sakura smiles, watching the blue monster's eyes widen, his legs buckle beneath him because of the sudden earthquake just **one** of her punches has created. And seamlessly, Neji is free. The sphere of water that had trapped him has dispersed.

Neji does not waste time. He is immediately on his feet and creates distance from himself and Kisame. The beast is visibly not pleased.

He growls, yes, growls! "Alright, little girl. Playtime is over." Sakura's stance goes defensive. She was expecting retaliation. And based on watching Kisame briefly fight Neji, she knew of his speed. Sword at hand, he moves quickly. She is not stupid enough to attempt blocking his blows. She instead fully dodges.

Sakura surmises that she probably cannot land a hit on Kisame while dodging his aggressive strikes. Her goal is to stay alive for the time being till Neji, her superior comes up with a plan. Or until Might Gai appears. Either would do, so long as Kisame's cruel gaze wasn't fully set on her.

It is a deadly dance.

His right foot moves forward, her left foot steps back. He swipes his sword downward, her right foot pivots. Growling, his next strike is intended to decapitate her. She ducks, pivots, pivots again, and jumps back a few feet away from him! Having failed in trying to decapitate her, he tries slashing her torso instead. She steps back again and misses the sword by a mere hair. This goes on for what she knows is minutes. But it feels like hours.

Sakura is sweating. And she wonders when her skill and good luck will end. Minutes? Seconds? Now? Kisame's expression is calm, though she can tell he is irritated. He moves forward to continue their routine.

Neji intervenes.

The brown haired ninja jabs precise pressure points at Kisame's sword arm. Consequently, Kisame's entire right arm from his shoulder to his hand is paralyzed. His sword temporarily falls from his right hand to suddenly be picked up with his left.

A wicked grin is in place.

"Got you," the blue beast whispered.

Neither of them could have anticipated Kisame's swift movements. Emerald eyes are wide, Sakura watches with horror as Neji is struck down. Blood splatters on both her and Kisame. The liquid is still warm when it hits her face.

Neji is on the ground, and he doesn't move. Blood surrounds him. From Neji's neck to his waist, his body no longer fully connects. It hangs. It doesn't take someone with a medical background to recognize that he is dead. Kisame's beady eyes turn to her. His satisfied bloodthirsty grin widens.

"You're next."

 **Terms used in the fanfiction:**

 **ANBU:** "Special Assassination and Tactical Squad"...[ANBU] take orders directly from the Kage, performing special high-level missions, such as assassinations and torture. The ANBU usually work in teams formed to the requirements of the mission, ensuring maximum success. The shinobi in the ANBU are hand-picked by the Kage; chosen for their individual capabilities and special skills.

 **360° palm technique:** Basically the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms technique. This technique consists of violent blows to one's opponents chakra system with a 360 view. Though, in this fanfic, instead of attacking, this is a move that's purely defensive. No blows occur. Rather, Neji deflects.

 **Author comments:** Hi guys! Short chapter this time around. I was struggling with the direction I wanted this story to go. And I'm still debating a few things. But for now, I think I have enough of an idea to start posting again!

Additionally, I wanted to thank everyone who has started following my fanfic, who has commented, and who has favorited this story! I appreciate all of you and it sincerely makes my day!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sasuke couldn't get the sight out of his head. His family murdered before his very eyes. His mother, his cousins, his uncles and aunts… all by his older brother.

Yet... He couldn't help but think that this situation shouldn't be feasible. Couldn't possibly be right.

It all seemed awry.

Onyx yes forming into crimson hues, coal-hued fires that can't be extinguished, people with abilities, his family suddenly expressing impossible powers…. And then, Death. All set in motion by his loving older brother.

"Eyes. Red. Fire. Burning. Death. Death. Death."

Death.

He repeated these words aloud over and over. As if somehow by saying them, he could fit them into a reality and discover their authenticity. After all, could it still be true that everything was just a terrible dream? The impossible can just be that, the impossible. People don't have red eyes that can break down your mind. There's no such thing as a fire that can't be put out.

He pauses, words drift into nothing, his mouth closes…

In the center of his mind, he focuses involuntarily of a memory… Or was it a hallucination?

Fugaku is standing in between him and Itachi. What were they saying? Sasuke tried to search his mind. But at the time, he was too terrified to fully pay attention. What were they talking about before...before…

His father crumbled at his feet. And abruptly, Itachi was before him. His face is callous. It was an expression, a mask, Sasuke was familiar with. After all, Itachi often showed such an expression to others. But never to him. Their bond left no room for such masks. While Itachi always was a bit of a mystery to him, he was at least honest with Sasuke in ways he wasn't to others. And yet, the man before him was not one that he recognized.

At that time, within that death-filled room, Sasuke opened his mouth: he meant to ask why Itachi was doing this, and perhaps beg for his life in the same breathe. But nothing, not even a sound, drifted from his dry trembling lips. And for a moment, Itachi's mask broke.

A smirk stretched upon his thin lips.

Presumably, Itachi was amused.

Sasuke felt even more terrified as to what specifically amused him. Was it Sasuke's lack of ability to talk? His terror? Or his impending death? Maybe everything. Maybe nothing. Admittedly, Sasuke could never fully read Itachi.

Though, what good did these thoughts do him now? Sasuke was sure that he was about to die.

But instead of a killing blow, those cruel eyes sucked him in. And suddenly, he was in a world of black and red. Outlined in white, he saw it all again. Each death he caught witness to, and then some that he knew nothing about. Some, he wasn't even sure had happened...yet.

His family massacred. His friends tortured. Limbs amiss and bodies deformed from work of cruelty. And Sakura… He shuddered.

It was a cycle. A vision of nightmares. And Sakura's horrors was always the last before it restarted. "Look at this. Look at these people. You care about them. But you can do nothing," Itachi would tell him. And Sasuke did look. He wasn't sure if this was due to Itachi's work, or his own inability to turn away. He watched, he took it all in. The chaos of it all, Itachi's cruelty on full display.

Death.

And more death.

He tasted the term, regarded it upon his palate, and sounded it aloud,

"Death."

At seventeen years old, Sasuke realized that demise was far more absolute than life. Death was always promised. Life wasn't.

If truth be told, Sasuke wasn't sure when the visions and terror ended… The deaths. The torture. The inability to do anything...except watch. He just knows that one minute he was screaming and silently begging for it to end, and the next Sakura was there. Not visibly harmed. Just...there. He vaguely noticed that she was accompanied by another person. A man with long brown hair. And too, that her hands were glowing. First on him, then over his father. But the details weren't clear when he thought back on it.

After some time goes past, somehow she carries him to a place. Somewhere safe. He has zero recollection of the trip from his home to his current location. He thinks that this is maybe a good thing. First, he's surrounded by gruesome and mangled bodies. The next he isn't.

When his madness begins to subside and he begins to gain full consciousness of his surroundings, he's huddled in the farthest corner of a white room that smells of antiseptic. It takes him a moment to realize that he's in some kind of generic hospital room. He closes his eyes, he listens. There's commotion outside his door. Sounds of frantic people scurrying about. And there are sounds of destruction outside. Explosions, screaming, and havoc. Chaos surrounds him. Even in this room, he knows it's only time till…

"Sasuke."

It's only when his name is called that he realizes he isn't alone. It's his father's voice. "Sasuke." Fugaku croaks, his voice weak. "Y-Yes." He responds while hesitantly bringing himself to his feet. Nervous steps bring him to his father's bedside. "Sasuke." Fugaku croaks again, not realizing his son is beside him. "Yes, father," Sasuke says, grabbing Fugaku's hand. He doesn't remember having ever done such a thing in the past, but it seems appropriate now.

Sasuke didn't realize his father was alive. Hadn't he died? But then the memory of Sakura's glowing hands filters to the front of his mind. Right, nothing made sense. His father's survival was a blessing. He shouldn't, wouldn't, question it.

Fugaku opens his eyes. Weakly, he finally regards Sasuke. The surprise is clear within his father's dark brown eyes. "You're alive." "Yes," Sasuke says, as if unsure. Was he alive? Or had he died back in the manor? Nothing seemed right, nothing made sense. "Where are we?" Fugaku asks, suddenly looking around. "I...I don't know." Sasuke states stupidly, his voice growing in strength, his mind finally settling with bits of clarity.

"Who...who brought us here?"

"Sakura and some guy...I think." Again, everything is muddled. The visions. What was right? What happened? _Did_ Sakura bring them here? She must have. He remembers, right? But didn't he also remembering her dying? Over and over and over again?

"Sakura," Fugaku mutters as if her name pains him. "I think she saved you." "She did?" he says disbelievingly. "Her hands... glowed." Fugaku nodded once. "Then I... _we_ …are in her debt." Sasuke doesn't respond, he doesn't know what to say. They are both silent for a moment. Though, Fugaku doesn't move to take his hand from Sasuke's. If anything, he grips it tighter. Sasuke, I don't know how much time I have..."

Sasuke realizes that for some people, this action would give them comfort: A father reciprocating holding onto his son's hand. Only, for him, it does the opposite. It terrifies him. Never in his life could Sasuke recall Fugaku showing affection.

"Father, I don't understand. You're fine now." Sasuke doesn't know how true that is. But he's alive and he's speaking. That must mean something, right?

"Itachi will know that I survived. He meant to kill me. He'll be back. So, I must be quick with what I am to tell you." "Itachi...will be back?" "Of course. He meant to kill me. It was luck that Sakura saved me. Now, **listen** , there is much to discuss and little time."

Sasuke felt his throat tighten. What was his father saying? Itachi would be back? Why? Why was he so adamant about father's demise? Why would he want him dead? But then, why did kill any of their family?

'Nothing makes sense.'

"Yes, father. I am listening."

Sasuke listened, gripping his father's weak hand all the while. He listened as Fugaku spoke of the Sharingan...which was what Itachi possessed. And apparently, he too had the potential for such a gift. Fugaku spoke of things that should not be possible: ninjas and such. He spoke of clan secrets, of the burdens that now fell on Sasuke, should he survive Itachi's wrath long-term.

"Remember all that I have told you. Find the will to survive. And should you make it, make reviving the clan your priority." "But, what of Itachi?" "I can only hope that someone else will destroy him. You are no match. You have no training. You haven't even activated your Sharingan, should you have it."

A terrible thought occurred to him. Reluctantly, Sasuke asked Fugaku, "Why does Itachi have training and I do not, father?"

Fugaku was silent for quite some time. Sasuke tried to be patient. But the silence was heavy upon him. "There was...a decision made. Within this village, this country even, there is a silent war within the politics between elected officials, respected clan members, and elders. When this country was first established, there was meant to be a balance among individuals of power so that no group would have too much control and selfishly abuse it. Elected officials were to not be ninja, Clan heads knew this. No Clan head would put one of their own in a seat within government if it meant prohibiting the abilities of one of their own. It was unfeasible."

"For a while, the system worked. However, as the decades went on, the Uchiha realized how unjust they were being treated. We own so much within this country, we've sacrificed our very lives for Konohagakure! And yet we have little say of what goes on. The Uchiha had no intention of taking advantage of Konohagakure's citizens. However, for being a clan that has been here from the very beginning, it is cruel to be denied a chance within the government and have true representation."

"Your mother and I, we consciously made a decision with the Uchiha council. We were to have two children. One to be head of the clan, and the other to join the government. You were meant to take on the role as a politician to guide this country and to give the Uchiha a voice."

"You sacrificed me."

"We liberated you from being in your brother's shadow. For being only a **spare** heir to the great Uchiha clan. And simultaneously, we made you the hope of the Uchiha clan."

Sasuke wanted to believe his father. But years of living with him made him realize one thing, Fugaku was an expert at manipulating people. Especially him. Sasuke needed in-depth answers. One-liners would not satisfy him. "How were the Uchiha being treated unjustly?"

"There's no time to discuss that."

"Or there's no facts to back up your claim."

"You wouldn't understand."

"The Uchiha's thirst for power?"

Fugaku would not look Sasuke in the eyes. Disgusted Sasuke wretched his hand away from his father's. "Did Itachi know of this plan?" "He was aware," Fugaku confirmed. "You aren't telling me something." "I have nothing more to say." "You're lying. It will do no good for you to keep it to yourself. You said it yourself, 'Itachi will be coming back'. Shouldn't I know at least why he might finish us off? Don't I deserve that much?"

"He won't kill you," Fugaku stated confidently. "And why is that?" "Likely, he will see if your eyes will become like his. He will need your Sharingan if he wishes to continue on the path he set himself on. That is, if he wishes to survive. You'll live...for at least a while longer. Even without outside aid."

"Wha-" Sasuke meant to ask what his father meant. What did his eyes have anything to do with the path that "Itachi had set himself on". But one-minute Fugaku was speaking to him, and the next he was crumbled forward within his hospital bed. Blood slowly seeped through white bed sheets from a wound that Sasuke could not see. There was no rise or fall from his father's person.

Immediately, Sasuke recognized that his dad was dead.

Sasuke blinked. He hadn't even had time to react. "Naughty, naughty, Fugaku Uchiha. Itachi does not want for you to tell lil Sasuke so many things." Sasuke's heart began to pound within his ears. Slowly he turned in the direction of the voice. In front of an open door stood the killer. Behind the dark clothed stranger, Sasuke could see two bodies on the floor upon the door's entrance. Sasuke had heard no confrontation. It must have been a skillful and quick assassination.

And too, the commotion outside had completely died down within the halls. Sasuke tried not to think what that meant. A busting hallway that suddenly becomes quiet could mean anything. Though, realistically, Sasuke would conclude that this stranger had a role to play in that.

Death.

It's become commonplace within Sasuke's life.

Sighing, Sasuke knew he was at the mercy of this dangerous stranger. This man, like Itachi, was evil.

Who are you?" Sasuke asked, his voice steady, despite his shaking hands.

"Call me...Tobi. Though, I'll leave the light-hearted talking for later. For now, let's go on a little walk, hm?" Tobi smiled.

The action did not reach his dark eyes.

Sasuke was aware that this was very much a statement rather a suggestion.

"Lead the way." Sasuke said, his face void of all emotion. While he did not know his role within Itachi's plan… He could recognize that at least he had a role. Which meant, in some way, he was valuable. No real harm would come to him, right? Yes, the visions that Itachi made him go through was...traumatic. But, here he stood. Alive. No one else in his entire family could say as much.

Tobi extended a hand.

With a posture of pride, eyes that were direct, Sasuke took his hand. A tornado of wind and darkness engulfed him, and suddenly Sasuke was outside. The wind was unusually warm, the smell of fire and devastation overtook his senses.

Quickly, the young Uchiha gathered himself. Though, just as quickly, he was disoriented.

They were in front of Naruto's house. Sasuke may not have known where they initially were. But they absolutely were not anywhere close to Naruto's neighborhood.

The trend of the impossible happening was continuing.

The once grand and beautiful mansion was a wreck, and the roof had the same eerie black flame that once donned the Uchiha manor. Sasuke's stomach dropped.

Concern for his childhood friend overcame him. Though, whatever thoughts of Naruto quickly vanished. Before him, on the front lawn, was Sakura. Visibly exhausted, she expertly evaded the pursuit of a large man with a massive and malicious sword. Fear overcame him. Sasuke couldn't help but think:

'Sakura is no match for this man.'

Not too far off from the combative pair was a dead body. Glassy pearl eyes stared at him from across the way. Sasuke briefly recognized him as the man that was with Sakura when they had saved him and his father at the Uchiha manor. Sasuke quickly concluded that the man's cruel demise was due to the work of the man Sakura was currently fighting with. Sasuke gripped his hands into shaking fists.

"You want to help." Said Tobi. "I can do nothing." "She'll die unless you do something." "I am useless." He stated, the words stinging in his mouth, burning on his tongue.

Sakura had not noticed them yet. She was reasonably too focused on the man's sword. Both she and the large man moved at an impressive and entrancingly graceful pace. "If you care so much, why don't you do something? You brought me here." "Out of curiosity." "And my father? Why did you kill him? If you were only interested in bringing me here?"

"He was getting too chatty. Couldn't risk him saying something he shouldn't." Sasuke felt his throat tighten. A reasoning so simple, it made him sick. "What did you hope for by making me watch this?"

"I was hoping for pain. Feel something. Feel angry, helpless, feel desire for power, feel-"

A hiss of pain escaping full pale lips. Sakura miscalculated evading a thrust of the sword. As a result, her shoulder was nicked. Blood dripped down her arm. Holding onto her wounded limb, she continued her dance of dodging the sworded man's attacks. Noticeably, sweat began to line her brow.

"What are you going to do, Sasuke?"

'What could he do?' He had no gifts, no abilities, no training! The man laughed as he swung his sword. Sakura, once again, was nicked on the same shoulder. Her blood soaked through her shirt. Sasuke's attention went back to the dead brown haired stranger, his body cold, his eyes akin to glass. He was the one who carried his father from the Uchiha manor.

"Look at this. Look at these people. You care about them. But you can do nothing."

Itachi's voice rang in his ears once more. Itachi was right. He couldn't do anything. He was useless. USELESS! Even his own father was killed in cold blood before his very eyes, and he could do nothing to stop it. Sasuke hadn't even seen the attack. All he could do was be compliant with his father's killer. What could he do now? How could he help Sakura?

"So, little Uchiha, what are you going to do?"

Sakura tripped. She fell on her backside. With wide-eyes, the pink haired teenager stared at her opponent.

The vile creature grinned at her, exposing sharp teeth.

"Your luck is up, Princess."

 **Author comments:**

Hi guys! Thanks for reading another chapter! As always, it is much appreciated. Now, normally I don't do this. But I must ask you, would you prefer having a romance in this fan fiction? Initially, I wanted to avoid any serious focus on any form coupling. However, I realize that after a few messages and a comment that some people might be interested in having a Sakura shipping! So, if you'd feel so inclined, tell me what you think!

Till next time,

J


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Knowing and experiencing death are two incredibly different things. Sakura had witnessed her superior, her partner, her friend die before her eyes. And he died fighting someone she knew she had no chance in defeating. If Neji, who was brilliant, a prodigy, a perfect ninja, died at this monster's hand, what were her chances? Sure, she could continue her dance of evading his sword, his jutsu… But how long could she hold up?

Not long.

That was for sure.

She knew that Might Gai was coming. But when?

Kisame nicked her shoulder for a second time with his magnificent sword. She could feel the panic overwhelm her. 'Stay calm,' she commanded herself. She couldn't afford to psyche herself out. To make any mistakes, to-

She tripped.

Her blood ran cold as she fell back. Eyes wide, she took in the slow stretch of a cruel smile spread on Kisame's thin lips.

"Your luck is up, Princess."

"I don't need luck." She might have not been a prodigy, or all that brilliant. But she was a ninja. A good one at that. Kisame moved to strike her down, perhaps to cut her in half. A dramatic flourish to end the life of a pink haired girl that was the equivalent of a gnat to him. She wouldn't take it sitting down.

Palms glowing green, she raised her hands in the air and slapped the ground on either side of her. Dust consumed them both. Within seconds, she pushed herself to the side and crouched a short distance away. Kisame swung his sword in multiple ways, obviously annoyed. The dust cleared but she had not fallen. She was safe.

For now.

"Why won't you JUST DIE!?" He stabbed his sword in the ground and did a series of signs. Water burst straight into the air from the surrounding fire hydrants and filled the streets. The water droplets that fell down on her were cold.

Refreshing.

Deadly.

He did another series of signs. A large water dragon of sorts formed. She was not intimidated. Bigger didn't necessarily mean more danger. Kisame was the shark in these waters. This jutsu, while dangerous, was just the distraction. Even with the fire hydrants, the heat was already drying up the water on the grass, there were mere puddles in the streets now. The justsu consumed most of the water. She knew that he knew he was on borrowed time with the jutsu. He meant to finish this quickly.

The dragon poised itself, a serpent with teeth, and charged directly at her. She avoided its initial charge, but barely missed Kisame's sword. Deflecting the two was going to be tough, but it seemed as if this concern was unnecessary.

In true Gai fashion, he battle-cried out of the sky, going through the dragon and dispersing its form, to land directly in front of Sakura. "Not you again." Kisame said, his expression more distrubed than worried. "Miss me?" Gai winked while flashing his blinding white smile.

"I could have gone a lifetime of never seeing you again and be more than satisfied." The blue beast growled, swinging his sword. Sakura jumped out of the way, her breathing labored and her body exhausted. There was relief that overcame her of having someone else there. Someone strong. Though…

When Gai sees Neji, his former student…

Her heart ached.

"The lines are dead!" Sakura screamed at Gai. "Headquarters was likely attacked. Unsurprising since Itachi is one of our own, they knew our location." "What do we do? Complete our last orders. Retrieve the President and his family." Gai said with a laugh, easily dodging Kisame.

"I was told to not go into the house by Tenten before the line went dead." "Right now, we will follow direct orders from the Hokage. Get Neji and head inside. I'll be close behind the two of you." Hearing Neji's name made her throat tighten. "Gai, Neji is…" It only took a moment. He glanced at her, then at what had her attention. Not so far away was Neji's lifeless body, drenched in water, his blood now washed into the Earth of the First Family's front lawn. In the commotion he hadn't seen him. Or maybe the water dragon shielded Neji's body from view. His smile fell. His gaze hardened.

Either way, he saw Neji now. Turning his round eyes to Kisame, his demeanor had changed. This did not go unnoticed by Kisame. Kisame took Gai's hateful stare with pride. "I did that." Kisame's wide grin irked. "That was my loveable youthful student." "He's still there. Just in pieces." Kisame offered with a laugh. "Don't worry, you'll be with him soon. The afterlife is a great way to reacquaint yourself with loved ones, I've heard."

"Sakura, I will finish this up and we will retrieve the first family together." Gai said confidently, his voice void of any warmth. This was a Gai she had never witnessed before.

"Y-Yes." she responded.

Sakura pushed wet bangs out of her face and centered herself. Kisame was the appetizer, Itachi was something more gruesome to encounter. Taking deep calming breathes, she knew that she needed to gather herself.

Then, a presence to her right.

A hand extended towards her.

She pulled out a kunai from her thigh's holster and turned. It was her reflexes that kept Sasuke Uchiha's hand from being separated from his wrist. "Sasuke?" she asked, confused, on alert, concerned. "What are you doing here?" 'Or' "Is that you, Itachi?" "No, it's me Sakura. I-I…" He looked over his shoulder. His eyes were wide, terrified, his face pale, his body shaking, he reached out to her. She took a step back.

Confusion and genuine hurt spread upon his beautiful features. "You're not Sasuke. Sasuke is somewhere safe." "He came for me." Sasuke began, his voice cracking. "They killed father. Well, _he_ killed father." "I don't believe you," Sakura moved her body in defense. Fugaku survived Itachi's wrath. She stabilized him. This was not Sasuke.

"It's true! Father told me about why I wasn't trained in the ninja way. And then, he killed him at the hospital! He said my father was saying too much. That Itachi wouldn't be pleased. He brought me here. I saw you...fighting! And, I don't know."

He looked at his open hands. As if looking for an answer, a reason, a...lie? No, not a lie. Itachi didn't know Fugaku survived. That he was transported to the hospital. Well, if what Sasuke said was true, Fugaku wasn't alive anymore.

"Sasuke, who is this 'he' you keep mentioning." "I don't know! I just, he brought me here! And then he told me to do something. He said he wanted me to feel something. I don't know! I don't know!"

A small rational part of her brain recognized that this wasn't the time to have a breakdown. And that she most definitely should not have her back to Kisame. Even if he was busy with Might Gai. But, what else could she do? Sasuke was here. And his entire world had been shaken, his family was dead, his mind had been tortured and shattered.

His face was red now, his eyes deranged. "What is happening? This isn't real. This CAN'T be real. Where's Naruto? Why is his house on fire? What are these dark flames? Why are they the same as…" "Sasuke, you can't be here." "I was _brought_ here. Against my will. With the very man that murdered my father before my eyes. I don't **want** to be here. Sakura, let's go. Run away. We need to be somewhere safe."

"I'm getting Naruto."

"He's dead. He has to be. If… If those flames are from Itachi, he's already gone." "We don't know that yet." "I KNOW. Why else would he be here? What's stopping him from killing him? He massacred our own family!" "I was given the mission to retrieve the first family." "Sakura." he was pleading, desperate. "Sasuke, we will get somewhere safe _once_ we have the first family." "You don't know him, Sakura. He will kill you."

"I know enough about Itachi, Sasuke. What he's capable of doing. And he hasn't killed me yet."

'Not yet…'

"You don't know about his eyes, Sakura. They're terrible, they're-!" "I know." she interrupted. "I can handle it. We're going to get Naruto and his family, and retreat to a safehouse."

The fact that she had no idea if there was a safehouse to go was not something she chose to acknowledge. Not even in her mind.

 **Sasuke's POV**

"I know." she interrupted.

"I can handle it. We're going to get Naruto and his family, and retreat to a safehouse."

Sakura...knew? How did she know? Did she hear about it from someone else? How those awful eyes could suck you in, steal everything warm and peaceful from within, twist it into your worst nightmare, and spit it back at you? Did she know his eyes could cause tangible pain? Could make you bleed, even without causing a single cut, without making a physical blow? Did she know?

Did she truly know?

Her eyes, emerald, shining, fierce, said it all. Yes, she did know. And not just by second hand knowledge. No, she experienced them. Because while she clearly had fight in her, she also seemed drain, dulled, hollow. How was she standing? How did she overcome his hellish nightmare?

How?

Because Sasuke felt like he was running on fumes. He felt like at any second he was going to lose it again. Or maybe he already had? Maybe this was all in his head. The mind can be a terrible thing…

" _...To waste."_ Itachi would say

He couldn't help it. Tears whelmed within his eyes. Itachi. Did he ever know his older brother? Of course he was always an enigma. But, how could he not see the madman that he was? The murderer? This cruel individual is not the brother he had known. The one that would soothe him when he was younger during thunderstorms. Who would protect him from father. Who would encourage his efforts in sports and school. Who gave him "the talk". This was not the Itachi that gave him tomatoes as snacks during his studies. Or would politely listen to him as he vented in frustration about life or school or dad or Naruto or that annoying new girl Sakura! Because who has pink hair? Huh? It must be fake. She's always around too! Watching and hovering around him. But she won't say anything. What's her problem?

" _Pink hair, huh?" Itachi mused with a smile. "Sounds kind of interesting to me." "She's not interesting. She's annoying." "You've complained about her everyday since she came to your class." "Yea, because she's ANNOYING." he reiterated. Why couldn't Itachi see how troublesome this new girl was? Who came to their school her senior year after they had already started with first semester?_

 _It was dumb. It was suspicious. It was… Annoying. Her with her focus of schoolwork, of striking eyes, of soft looking_ _ **pink**_ _hair. Who did she think she was? She seemed arrogant._

" _You should speak to her."_

" _Not worth the effort." Sasuke said with a shrug, grabbing a ball that was by his feet and tossing it in the air._

" _I don't want her to get the wrong idea."_

 _Itachi hummed,"She could be a good friend. You said Naruto likes her." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Naruto likes_ everyone _." Itachi laughed. "True. Though, Naruto said she has a boyfriend. And it's already been a week. I doubt she'll make a move now if she hasn't already." Sasuke knew that. Which gave birth to a whole new set of confusing feelings. Relief? And…_

" _I've never seen you so invested in someone before. Well, someone that wasn't Naruto." Itachi corrected, a playful tone in his voice. Sasuke glared at his older brother, throwing the ball straight at his head. Itachi easily caught it. He had annoyingly good reflexes. "Why the sour face? I'm only stating the obvious. When have you ever talked about anyone, especially a girl, like this?_

Her dead nearly naked body is at his feet. Blood covered her. She stared at him through empty eye sockets. 'Where are her eyes?' Her striking emerald eyes. Who had them? Who _took_ them? "You couldn't save her." Itachi said in that nightmarish world. "You're not strong enough." Itachi nudged her lifeless form with his boot. "Don't." Sasuke said through gritted teeth. "Why? She's already gone."

His foot was at the base of her neck.

Weak.

Weak.

Itachi stepped down.

Weak.

"DON'T."

"SASUKE!"

He blinked. Sakura's face is close to his and filled with concern. Her hands are painfully clutching his shoulders. He looked at her starry-eyed and confusingly out of breathe. "Hey, are you okay? You were...saying things." Sasuke shrugged out of her hold. "Yea...I, I don't remember what I was saying before, before I…" "Blacked out?" she finished for him, her gaze filled with worry. He nodded.

"We were talking about Itachi." Ah, yes. That made sense. His doting brother, the madman that ruined his life. The man that showed him every possible way of killing each person that he loved in multiple ways. For days. For years. For a millennia. And at the same time, in no time at all. Sasuke reached forward, a dizziness overcoming him.

But Sakura was here. Everyone else was dead. Even Naruto. He must be. Itachi was in that house. And those flames… There was no way. He must be dead. But Sakura, she was here. And she was, more or less, in one piece.

He grabbed her and pulled her tightly against him. Her clothes and body was wet with sweat, blood, and water. She was covered in dirt. But she was here.

Alive.

"Please, let's get away from here." "I have to retrieve Naruto and his family. It's my mission." "I don't care. You're going to die if you go in there."

Because Itachi still had disturbing plans for him, he would live. But Sakura? She will die. Itachi isn't scared to kill her. He won't hesitate. He won't. He didn't with mother, he won't for her. She was nobody to him.

Nobody.

He pushed the question of who Sakura was to him out of his head. It didn't matter. It doesn't matter who she is. He just wants her safe. He wants her to not go into Naruto's house. He wants for her to be as far away as humanly possible from Itachi. His brother. The madman. The murderer.

"Sasuke, you have to let go." He shook his head. "Sasuke," there was a note of disapproval, of fear, now. He didn't want to let go. She pushed him away. He fell on his side, startled. Looking at her, he meant to ask her why would she be so aggressive? Was it so terrible to be in his arms? When he saw the blue beast before her, his sword held high over his head.

The strange spandex wearing man called the swordsman a coward, he was running towards them both. "Aren't I your opponent?"

But the swordsman seemed unconcerned with his taunts and petty words. "Hello Princess."

And she stood there.

Weak.

He had to do something.

Weak.

He needed to help her.

Weak.

'Please, don't kill her.'

Weak.

He wanted power.

Power.

Why was he so weak?

It was like the nightmares. Sakura was going to be taken away from him. In front of him. He could do nothing, but watch.

Give me power.

He wanted to stop him. He NEEDED to stop him.

"Stop!" The spandex man demanded.

The swordsman moved in almost slow motion. Sasuke gathered himself to his feet as Sakura put a kunia before her, as if this small metal tool would be enough against his massive sword. Her eyes narrowed, the beast's face brightened with sick delight. Both had a level of expectation of her doom. Sasuke wouldn't have it.

He used the force of his body to push her out of the way. And there he was, in her place. She looked at him wide-eyed.

"No!"

But Kisame stopped just as his sword was about to cut into his skull. The force of the stopped sword swept wind against his body.

A kiss from a Reaper's scythe.

His life had meaning.

It wasn't his time to die.

Not yet.

"Cutting it close, brat." Sasuke glared at him. The beast was at first startled. Then smirked.

"Nice eyes."

The spandex clad fighter attacked the large blue swordsman from behind. He dodged the blow despite not having turned around. And again they were off, fighting one another.

Sasuke stooped down to Sakura. "Are you alright?" "Y-You idiot!" she slapped him in the face. He took it. She was alive. "You could have been killed!" She slapped his other cheek. "But you're okay." As okay as one could be in her predicament, anyway. "Why did you do that?" "I don't want to see you hurt." She got onto her knees and wrapped her arms around him. "You're so dumb. A world class idiot. All of my work would have been nothing. Standing in the line of fire. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head on top of hers. "You're okay." She pulled away from him sooner than he would have liked, and held him at arm's length. Her expression was troubled and saddened. "What?" he asked.

"Your eyes." He lowered his lashes. "They're red." She didn't have to explain what she meant. The Sharingan. It was his now too. But what good were his eyes if he did not know how to utilize them? He was useless.

" _You're weak."_

He was still so weak.

Author's Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read my fanfic!

Reviews are always appreciated. What do you think of the sasusaku direction I'm going into?

xo


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A dramatic battle cry.

An intense shaking of the ground.

And a fallen broad shouldered ninja lying in a practical crater upon rugged wet Earth.

His sword is a short distance from his open limp hand. He doesn't bother reaching for it.

The enemy turns his head and coughs blood. "You will not be getting up again." Their ally said, his voice dark and sure.

"I'll get up, alright." The enemy darkly promises, blood gurgling and spilling from the sides of his mouth.

"No. You won't."

Sakura took one step towards him. "Gai Sensei…" The man looked at the dead young man not too far from them. Pearl eyes with lost vibrancy. A body not whole, a spirit that was long gone. Gai's expression was forlorn, angry, and exhausted. His eyes flickered to them now.

'Please.' Sasuke thought to himself now, 'Please, let's leave this awful place.'

Instead, Gai's grave expression turned from them and to the burning house. Most of the roof was consumed now in the curious black flames.

"Let's head inside."

Sasuke felt foolish, but he gripped Sakura's hand tightly. It was strange. He'd been in Naruto's home countless times over the past decade. And yet, it currently felt foreign and evil to him. The downstairs looked the same as it always did. Luxurious blush couches, cream carpet, crimson paintings and family pictures upon ivory walls and delicate flowers in multiple glass vases throughout the living room and dining room. Always beautiful, never gaudy. That was Kushina's touch. Her entire being.

She was probably dead now.

Sasuke was sure of it.

Gai led them to the stairway. They each inched to the second floor. Sasuke stood in between the both of them.

Despite its awkwardness, he wouldn't let go of Sakura's hand during this ordeal. He was grateful she wouldn't refuse him this small service.

Curving down the hall, Gai quickly checked each room that they passed. Soon, the only room left upon that second floor was the master bedroom. Sasuke felt his palms sweat and his eyes widen.

Gai turned the door knob.

The door opened.

And there Itachi stood. His back to them.

With cerulean eyes the size of saucers, Naruto took in his parents. Before him, they stood impaled with a sword.

The handle was in Itachi's hand.

Kushina looked to have a hold of the sharp blade that protruded from her stomach, preventing Itachi from pulling it out. Minato looked as if he initially tried to shield Kushina from Itachi's wrath to no avail. Kushina had obviously pushed Naruto down. The blonde sat, seemingly frozen in place, his face turned towards his parents.

Sasuke could imagine cold lifeless eyes directed at Naruto's parents.

"The Jinchuriki. Give him to me."

"Go to hell, Bastard!" Kushina screamed. "Mom!" Naruto pleaded. His hands were reaching for her. But they did not touch her. Even despite, distance wise, being able to. Naruto's hands were frozen in mid-air. He looked conflicted. As if she were glass and his touch would be the last straw to shatter her. There was a delicate line between life and death. Naruto's parents were tilting towards the other side. No need to hasten the process.

Sasuke was familiar with that feeling of terror. Flashbacks of his father and mother at the Uchiha manor filtered through his mind.

"Itachi!" Sasuke growled, unable to stop himself.

His older brother lethargically turned his head to the side, but did not look at him directly. "Mm, Sasuke. Curious that you're here too."

Sasuke hadn't even blinked.

Sakura was before him, kunia raised, a fallen shuriken at her feet. "Still playing bodyguard, Sakura?" Itachi asked, a hint of a smile in his voice. "Shut up." She hissed at him. But Sasuke was confused. 'Bodyguard?'

"Close your eyes." Sakura warned. Sasuke didn't question it. He did as he was told. "You're brave. To look directly at me." "I'm not scared of you." she stated confidently. "You should be." Sakura didn't have a chance to respond. Gai must have charged at him because suddenly there was a feeling of air around them and the sound of a crashing window.

"Gai!" "What's happening!?" Sasuke asked, his heart rate excelling still. The offending organ pounded painfully in his chest. "Don't open your eyes, Sasuke!" "Sakura!" Naruto screamed. Sasuke felt Sakura move away from him. "Sakura?" he called out panicked. "Stay there." she ordered. He listened. "What's happening?" Naruto asked, his voice dreadful. "I'll tell you later. First, let me stabilize your parents." "Are you with _them_?" Minato asked weakly. "Yes." He made a calm sound of affirmation. "Please, work on my wife first." "Hai."

"S-Sakura?" Sasuke asked. "You can open your eyes now." Sakura said, her voice strained. He hesitantly obliged.

There she was, hands glowing once more. This time, they were hovering over Naruto's mom. "He missed your vital organs." The tone of surprise did not go amiss to him. "Thank God." Minato said. Sasuke made his way beside her. He felt a heavy fit of uselessness overcome him. Naruto was crouched by his parents. Snot and tears covered his face. Sasuke couldn't recall such an expression being present before.

Naruto always had a sunny disposition. The blonde whiskered person before him, like this house, was a stranger to him.

"Mom, dad." Naruto managed through heavy sobs.

"It's alright, darling." Kushina said, slowly placing a hand on his cheek. "We're here."

 **Sakura's POV**

Sakura was exhausted. She could barely see straight. Let alone heal wounds of Kushina and Minato's caliber. She was relieved and equally surprised to realize that, at least, their wounds weren't as bad as she first suspected. Their vital organs had been missed when they were impaled. It was extreme luck. A true miracle! Or, Itachi missed intentionally.

A clean cut.

But why? The man killed his entire family. Why show mercy to the First family? Things weren't adding up. Sakura narrowed her eyes, giving every bit of energy in her body to Kushina. Then to Minato. "Thank you for your services." Minato said, pulling her from her thoughts, his face sweet and charming, despite it being ashen from his near death experience. Sakura smiled, her vision going in and out.

"Y-You'll still feel weak. I can't replace blood loss. My ability can only go so far. But, for now, you're stabilized. There should be no long-term complications. Not even a-"

She couldn't hold up anymore.

She had been tortured, attacked, been in battle, and healed three people within the span of twenty four hours. Her limit had been passed long ago.

 **Sasuke's POV**

She leaned forward, a locked arm and hand on the floor seeming to be the only thing keeping her upright. "Sakura!?" Naruto shouted with concern. His voice grating in the thick smoky air. Sasuke moved towards her too.

Did Itachi do something to her? He wasn't sure. After all, his eyes were closed. Why did he close them? Because he was told to, he realized. He shouldn't have listened to Sakura. Now he didn't know if Sakura was hurt!

"I'm fine. Just...very tired. It takes a lot of energy to heal others." She said, a front of a smile etching on her lips in between labored breaths. She looked around, her eyes were hardly seeing. The smoke was intensifying now. Like the Uchiha manor, it was curious how the flames hadn't already consumed them. "We need to leave this house." Naruto lifted Sakura within his arms without question. She did not fight him. Sasuke didn't either. He helped Naruto's parents to their feet. The two leaned on him as they made it down the stairs following Naruto.

Outside there was a distinct ferocity of death and chaos in the air. Briefly, the onyx eyed teen wondered if they were truly better off outside the house. There was something about walls. No matter how reasonably fragile and thin they were, it separated you from whatever else was beyond them.

 _ **See.**_

 _ **No.**_

 _ **Evil.**_

Gai returned to them. Bitterness present within his disposition.

"He got away."

Itachi had gotten away...

The "safehouse" was a mere mall parking garage on the outskirts of the city. Medics were running everywhere. The wounded barbarically were placed beside one another on a long line of tarp. It was a bloody, moaning, screaming, broken space. Sasuke sat against a pillar beside Sakura a short distance from the rest. She refused the tarp and slept on the cold concrete. "Someone else can use that space," she reasoned with one of the doctors. Sasuke kept a hand as close as he reasonably could without touching her. Fingers a millimeter from her dirt covered arm.

Annoying.

Even now. She was asleep and she was still bothering him.

"Hey."

It was Naruto that brought him out of his thoughts. He acknowledged his forlorn best friend. The Naruto he had grown up with still hadn't returned. He wasn't surprised. Sasuke didn't feel the same either. He probably looked different too. Funny how a day or so does that to you. It can change everything.

"My parents are helping with passing out water. Want to help?" Sasuke wanted to say yes. He wanted to be of use. He hated doing nothing. Of being a waste of space. However, he simultaneously didn't want to leave Sakura. "She'll be fine." Naruto offered. Knowing exactly what kept him silent.

He hated that too.

How transparent he had become.

"I know." He said, the baritone of his voice nearly surprising him. He sounded like his father. Grave, serious, and a little scared. "What if she wakes up and I'm not here?" "She won't be awake for some time." "You don't know that." "Gai-San told me." "He doesn't know anything." Naruto sighed, seeing it was a lost cause. "Fine, stay there."

He turned to leave. Sasuke frowned.

"Wait."

Naruto looked over his shoulder. "What?"

"I-I...I need to know." "Yes," Naruto encouraged, fully turning towards him once more. "What did...what did Itachi want from you?" Naruto's face grew pale. "I don't know. He just kept...calling me a Jinchuriki. He appeared when we were in the yard. The explosions had just started… He killed the guards. He just… He just looked at him. And they fell, spasming. We ran in the house and upstairs. He didn't come for awhile. But then, the smoke came. It was like...he wanted us to come back outside. I don't know. After awhile, he came to my parent's room. He again demanded for them to hand me over. And again, they refused. I barely saw him move, Sasuke. One minute he was across the room, and the next I'm on the floor and my parents are impaled by his sword."

Naruto shivered and shook his head. "I still don't understand. And believe me, I asked my mom and dad about it. I've never heard that phrase before, 'Jinchuriki'. But they seem to know about it."

"Yet, they won't tell you about it." "No." "Thanks for telling me." Naruto shrugged and left. He looked troubled as he retreated back to the chaos of medics, the wounded, and the dying. Quickly, his best friend was lost from view.

"Uchiha."

Sasuke must have dozed off.

He jumped when he heard his name. He immediately searched for the warm body that was beside him, for Sakura, then for the source of the voice. It was pitch black out. Beyond the garage, the city was blackout. Within the parking garage, even, it was dim. Basic tarp was replaced with tents. And the moaning had died down considerably. Sasuke held a firm hand on Sakura's arm.

"You can stay with her. But she needs to lay on something reasonable and get an IV." "Who are you?" he asked rudely, not trusting her. Not _knowing_ her.

The woman scowled. "I'm Tsunade. Her mother, you fucking brat."

She easily lifted Sakura into her arms and placed her within a mostly empty tent. A few other people were inside, seeming to be knocked out. Sasuke was surprised to see Hinata on a cot not to far from them. Sakura was placed on a cot of her own. The blonde pig-tailed woman was on her knees as she tapped Sakura's arm in the dim light. Seconds later she stuck a needle in Sakura's arm. Sakura didn't even flinch. Gently, she put Sakura's arm over her stomach and smoothed greasy hair from her face.

"Your father is dead." Tsunade said without looking at him. "I know." "Nearly twenty doctors and nurses were murdered too." Sasuke did not know this. "That doesn't count the three ANBU ninja that were on guard to keep watch over you two."

Sasuke did not respond. The blonde woman turned. Her honied eyes were nearly glowing in the poorly lit space. "Who did it? It couldn't have been Itachi." "I don't know. He didn't give a name." "Then give me a description." Her voice was hard, angry, impatient. "I've never seen him before. But...he had pale skin and dark hair and eyes." "You're not giving me anything to work with."

"I'm sorry. But this is all I have." They were both silent for a short time. "Within the hospital, that man killed many people in a short amount of time. This includes my close friend, Shizune. If you come across him and I'm with you, point him out. I'll return the favor." "He's strong." Sasuke warned. Her smirk said it all, " _I'm stronger."_

And for some reason, he had no doubt.

Someone, one of the patients, had a coughing fit.

After a few minutes it subsided.

The world was silent once more.

"You're in love with my daughter."

Until it wasn't.

Sasuke blinked. The statement caught him off guard. "I don't agree with you." "I don't care what you agree with. It's true. But this isn't the time for feelings, Sasuke. The city, this country, it's under attack." "Yes." "Feelings are dangerous on the battlefield. It gets people killed."

"I know." he said, even though he didn't know of such things. She didn't call him out on it. "Uchiha are passionate little fuckers. If you're given an order, you will follow it. If you get in the way, you will be restrained. After tonight, Sakura will not be around to babysit you. She'll have duties to tend to. Lives to save. You understand?"

"I can help her."

"You can't do shit. You aren't on her level. You're a civilian." "I have the Sharingan." "So Gai told me. But you don't know how to use it. You'll handicap her. Your presence will put her at risk. It already has."

He furrowed his brow. It did not go unnoticed. "No has told you?" His lack of response seemed enough for her.

She laughed. "You're shitting me. You still have no idea?" "Of what?" he asked, his hands beginning to sweat again.

"Of her mission? It was meant to be secret, but who gives a flying fuck about that now? She was your bodyguard."

" _Still playing bodyguard, Sakura?"_

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade stood upright. Her short form did not diminish her aggressive aura as she walked towards him, a whole head shorter than him. "She has been kidnapped, tortured, and beaten because of you." He shook his head. She was lying. Tsunade was lying to him.

It was cruel.

It was unnecessary.

He wouldn't believe her.

He couldn't.

But her eyes emphasized that what she was saying was true.

Sakura was hurt because of him.

"She has been through enough when it comes to you. This is not the time for some misguided crush. Or for inappropriate feelings."

Sasuke thought of when he held onto her when Gai was fighting the swordsman. How he wouldn't listen to her when she asked to be let go. How he held her till she pushed him aside. Till she stood, awaiting death, to protect him. Because of him?

She was waiting to put her life on the line because of him.

"Your eyes gives me reason to think you understand where I am coming from. After tonight, your time with Sakura will be scarce. She knows the most about Itachi as the enemy. And he's our number one priority to take down besides the person running the Akatsuki. We're taking back our city. And Sakura is vital to that."

"How can I be of use?" To the cause? To Sakura?

"Stay alive and out of the fucking way."


End file.
